One Mission Creek
by OneVictoriousWolf
Summary: "There is only one Mission Creek, and it's your home."
1. Prologue

**_One Mission Creek _**

Beck and Bree as Naley (Nathan and Haley)

Adam and Jade as Brulian (Julian and Brooke)

Chase and Cat as Leyton (Lucas and Peyton) 

Leo and Janelle as Mouth and Millie 

**A/N: Beck's last name will be Davenport. Adam's last name will be Davenport, but he won't be related to Beck and Chase. Bree's last name will be James, until she gets married. Beck will be a little OCC. **

**Info for the chapter: Beck challenges Chase to an nighttime basketball one-on-one game. If Chase loses; he must not join the team. If Chase wins, Beck will quit. **

_Chapter 1 - Prologue _

Driving down Abby Road, Cat Valentine listens to rock music. She closes her eyes as she perishes that moment of being around no one for a while. She was coming home from a basketball game, previously won by the Dingos. Her boyfriend, Beck Davenport, was known as the best basketball player in the school. Beck had a half-brother, Chase Davenport.

When Cat opened her eyes, she almost ran over a boy in a light gray hoodie. He took off his hood and there she saw him; Chase Davenport. Cat honked the car horn and he smiled, running to the sidewalk. Across the street, Beck was driving the bus with the team. It was like a wild party in there.

"Yo, tell me we didn't just steal the school bus," A boy asked. "Cause this feels like we just stole the school bus!"

"Dude," Beck spoke. "We just borrowed it, alright."

A blonde girl walked over to him and hovered over Beck, asking, "So, Beck, where's Cat?"

He responds, "Who knows? Why?" Suddenly, she grabbed him by the chin and kissed his lips. A train blows its whistle in the distance. Beck continues to kiss the girl as he steers the bus.

"Look out!" Tim shouted. Getting Beck' attention, he pushes the girl off and swerves to the curb. Sirens wail as the train passes by. In front of them is a cop car, blinking its sirens. Beck knows they got caught.

* * *

In a classroom at school while the sun shines through the windows, angry parents are standing beside their teenager as they listen to the principal speak.

"Some of you parents see this latest incident as a tomfoolery; a little prank. Personally, I see a breaking and entering." The principal points to a cop behind him who is standing by Coach Whitey. "Chief Wayman sees possession and consumption by minors, and a smidgen of grand theft auto. With that said, I think it's time we send a message. The following players were not involved and will not be reprimanded; Robbie Shapiro, Ruben Gutierrez, Tim Smith, and Beck Davenport. As for the rest of you, all players are suspended from extracurricular activities, specifically basketball for the rest of the season."

After the small meeting, Coach Whitey walks outside and the door opens. Out walks Douglas Davenport who makes his way to Coach. He turns around to face Douglas. Douglas says, "So you just walk away."

"Well, well. Douglas Davenport."

"Half the team was suspended, Beck triple-teamed the rest of the season, and you say nothing."

"The inmates will not run the asylum."

"You're despicable, you know that?" Whitey doesn't respond. Instead, he rolls his eyes and walks away. "You're letting the dreams of this team just vanish. You're full of crap!"

"It comes with old age, Douglas; constipation!" He shouts over his shoulder.

* * *

Chase Davenport is at the river court, playing basketball with his friends; Skills, Leo Dooley, Junk Morreti, Jimmy Edwards, and Fergie Thompson. As Chase shoots a basket, Junk asks a question. "Do you guys remember Tom Dugan from grade school?"

"He used to live next door to you, right?" Chase asked as Junk caught the ball.

"Yeah, some guy snapped him with a wet towel and he lost one of his testicles." They share a laugh in disbelief, excluding Junk.

"Okay, Junk." Jimmy Edwards shouted from the bleachers.

"I'm just saying what I heard."

"Anyway," Skills started to talk to Chase, changing the subject. "What you reading these days?"

"Steinbeck, "The Winter of our Discontent." Chase answered.

"Let me hear some."

"No." Chase shook his head.

"Come on, dog. You know I be reading vicariously through you." Chase got caught off guard when a very familiar Comet car drove on the road.

"Cat Valentine." Junk spoke. "Have you seen her webcam in her bedroom?"

Chase still looks at the spot where Cat was driving. Junk continues, "I hear she's naked on it, like, all the time." Junk laughs. Chase glares at him. "What? I hear things."

"You know, I saw her the other night." Chase caught the ball once it was passed to him. "She almost ran me over, of course."

"Yeah, she pretty fine, huh?" Skills asked.

"Ah, she's all right." Laughter erupts from Jimmy, Junk, Fergie, and Leo. "Just shoot for teams alright."

* * *

Later that day, Chase runs into his mom's café titled "Karen's Café." He opens the door and walks in with his basketball. "Hey, mom."

"Hey, honey." He saw his mom cleaning.

"Mm, it smells good in here." He walks to the counter where his mom is cleaning the dishes and the counter. "Did you change your hair?"

"If by "change" you mean "dragged a brush through it," then yeah."

"Well, it looks nice."

"Thank you."

"The magazine pages are sticky again, little pervs." Bree spoke, holding a magazine and walking to the counter. Bree and Chase have been friends for a long time. Bree looks up to see Chase. "Oh, hi, Chase, you been reading this?"

"I don't know, Bree. Is that the "Why do I hang out with these people?" issue, because you're on the cover of that, right?"

"No, actually, it's the "My best friend's an idiot," issue. And there you are." Chase scoffed.

"Bree, would you like to join us?" Karen asked.

"Hell yes." Bree said, getting a drink first.

"So, honey, how was your day?" Karen asked Chase when he said down.

"Good, thanks." Bree started, sitting down beside Karen. "'Good' is relative, considering a third of the world is starving, which does not change the fact that I'm clumsy as hell. Did I tell you that I fell down today? Yeah, slipped off the curb, face down, butt in the air."

"Bree," Karen started after they laughed.

"Was that too graphic? Sorry, I'll just be quiet." Bree said.

"So, I got something for you, Chase."

"Actually, I found it." Bree started. "I'm sorry, not that I was looking for something specifically which implies some hideous sort of "Joey Loves Dawson" scenario and completely creep out, but, you know, we saw and..." She looked at Karen as she ran out of words. "Well, give him the book."

Karen takes a book from her back and hands it to Chase. "Wow." Chase states. "Julius Caesar."

"There's a tide in the affairs of men" - or something like that." Karen spoke.

"Nice. Thank you guys, thank you very much."

"Whatever, that's what you're into." Bree spoke as she chewed on her food." She clears her throat. He and Karen laugh.

* * *

Coach Whitey sits in his office as Chase and Beck' uncle Donald walked up to the door of his office. He knocked on the window pane. Whitey signaled that he could come in. Donald smiled and opened the door.

"Well, well, Donald Davenport, what do you know?"

"How are you doing, Whitey?" He asks, taking a seat after closing the door.

"Take a load off."

"You, uh- you got a second?"

"Oh, I got a lot of seconds, or haven't you heard?"

"Oh, I heard." Donald takes out an alcohol flask. Whitey quickly shuts his blinds and grabs a cup.

"Pour in just a little." Whitey says. Donald pours in a little, but he keeps asking for more. "Just a little more."

"That's good."

"That's good." Donald takes a drink out of the flask and Whitey drinks from the cup. "I saw your little brother today - Douglas. He called me "Despicable.", said I crushed the dreams of young men."

"Was he talking about himself or Beck, do you think?"

"Both, I suppose." Whitey takes another sip from the cup. "Hey, what did you average when you played for me?"

"Oh, I averaged about 5,006 beers a night." They both laugh as Donald sits back.

"Well, at least you were consistent."

"Yeah, you gotta give me that." Donald responded. "Hey, you know, uh...Chase plays."

"Chase? Oh. Oh, Douglas's other son."

"Well, Karen's son." Donald corrects. "Douglas's on the birth certificate, but they never got married."

"Where does he play?"

"He plays at this park down by the river with a couple of other friends."

"Oh, come on, Donald. If the kid had any promise, he'd be in the gym with the real players."

"Like Beck, you mean?"

"Come on, coach." Donald leans forward. "Just take a little drive with me."

* * *

Chase's at the river-court, playing basketball with Junk, Fergie, and Skills as Jimmy and Leo announce. "Chase is on fire tonight! How do you say "hot" in French?" Leo shouted.

"Flambé." Jimmy answered.

"Chase is flambé."

"Fergie finds Chase who fakes out Junk again."

"They never learn, Leo."

"That's what I'm talking about." Donald and Whitey are sitting in the car, watching the boys -but mostly Chase- play.

"Aright, let's say I'm interested, and I'm not saying I am. Why put him through that?"

"He should know that he's good. Not just playground good, but good, period. He could use that in his life." Donald points to the playground.

"We could all use that in our lives."

"Yeah, but we had our chance."

"So, you and Karen- are you..."

"We're friends. You know, I'm the kid's uncle, and I'm in their lives. It is what it is."

"I remember when Douglas told me Karen was pregnant right after their senior year in high school. I told him he should honor his scholarship and go to college."

"I tell you one thing - you did Karen a favor, and Chase, too. Now maybe you could do me one." Donald looked at Whitey with a grin.

* * *

Cat sits in her closet, messing with pictures on Photoshop as she listened to rock music. One picture was of a pile of skulls and the other one was of a man digging snow. Beck walked into her room and walked into her closet.

"What are you wasting your time at now?"

"I didn't hear you come in." Cat looked at him then back at her computer.

"Imagine that." Beck leans down. "You know nobody listens to this crap." He turns it off and walks into the outer part of the room. Cat leans on her closet frame when she gets up.

"I waited for you tonight."

"Yeah, the guys wanted to tip a few."

"And you didn't even think to let me know?"

"That's why I came by." Beck walked to her. "You want to come?"

"You want me to come with the guys?"

"And me."

"You and the guys."

"You know what Cat? I'm getting really tired of this." Beck walked around. "I came here to spend time with you."

"Yeah, spend time with me and half the team."

"You want to be a bitch? That's cool. Sit in your closet, just listen to your loser rock, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"How about you _don't _see me tomorrow?" Cat shouted.

"That's fine by me, like I don't have other options." Beck sees that he has upset Cat. He sighs and looks up at the ceiling. He then looks back at her. "I'm sorry. Cat, I'm really sorry. It's just a lot of these guys got suspended. So it's like this stupid bonding thing. Look, I wish it was just you and me. But I was hoping you'd come anyway. Make it a lot more bearable, okay?"

Cat smiled at him and he leaned in for a kiss. She leaned in to and their lips met.

* * *

The next day at Mission Creek High, Chase sat in class. He looked up to see Cat looking down at a piece of paper. She looked up at him and it became awkward. Coach Whitey walked in and called out, "Davenport." All eyes turned to him as he cautiously got up and walked to Whitey.

Whitey and Chase walk into the school gym and Chase sees a couple of basketballs set on a rail. "Nice, isn't it? A lot of people like their gyms loud. I like mine like this - quiet, clean...kind of like a church. A lot of praying done here anyway. You played ball in grade school. Why'd you quit?" Whitey picked up a ball and turned to face Chase who was looking around.

"I didn't." Chase spoke.

"What? Four guys in a park, that's not exactly basketball."

"Then what do you think we're doing out there?"

"I don't know, planning a bank job? Look, I've got an opening in my lineup, varsity. It's a chance of a lifetime." Whitey tosses a ball to him. Chase catches it.

"What do you say?" Whitey asked.

"I say those people that pray here are wasting their time. God doesn't watch sports." Chase drops the ball to the ground and it dribbles as he walks out, beating to the rhythm of his footsteps.

* * *

Chase is back at the river-court with the guys and he shoots a basket, and Skills is the one to catch it. "Were you going to tell us, man?" Skills asks as he hands the ball to Chase.

"It's nothing."

"Whitey asked you to play on the team, and it's nothing?"

"It's nothing because I'm not playing. Not with those guys."

"Chase, man, I've been guarding you almost every night since we were like 12 years old, right? And I won how many games?" Skills asked. "I don't know. It just seems like a waste to me, man.

"Well, it doesn't to me. Don't you guys ever think that maybe we belong here?"

"No. _We_ belong here." Skills gestured to Fergie, Junk, and himself. "You've never belonged here."

"Thanks a lot, Skills." Chase grabbed the ball. "Just shoot for teams."

"Chase, you know you're one of my best friends, right? Nothing's ever going to change that. But keep it real. We ain't shooting for teams. We're shooting to be your excuse, and I ain't about to be part of that." Skills starts dribbling the basketball.

* * *

Chase runs down the sidewalk with his basketball till he reaches his house. When he reaches the top of the stairs, he sees a yellow package for him titled "Chase Shapiro." He bends down and grabs it. He opens the door and walks into the house, a green colored house.

Once in his room, he opens the package and sees a white and blue jersey with his last name on the back and mascot "Cyclones" on the front. Underneath "Davenport" is the number 3. He takes his hoodie and shirt off and tries on the jersey. Karen looks at him as she stands in the frame of the door. Chase turns around and knew he had to explain.

"Somebody left it at the door." Chase said.

"Take it off." Karen walks away. Karen never wanted Chase to play basketball because of Douglas. It just reminded her of Douglas. Chase sighed and turned around to face his reflection. He takes the jersey off and puts his shirt back on. He walks out of the house and walks down the stairs whilst putting his hands in his pockets. He sees Karen sitting by the bushes, gardening, except she wasn't gardening, she was looking at an album. He walks to her.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"Yes." She looks to see that Chase has sat down next to her. "Do you know who left it?"

"Coach Whitey left it, probably." Chase sighed. "He asked me to play."

"Maybe you should."

Chase scoffed, "You sound like Skills. Those guys refused to play today. They said they didn't want to be my excuse."

"How'd you feel about that?"

"Honestly? I was pissed. Those guys are supposed to be my friends."

"They are your friends. Do you remember that?" Karen points to a picture and lets him see the album. It was a picture of a 9 or 10 year old picture of Chase. He was standing in front of a Christmas tree, holding a leather basketball.

Chase laughed and said, "My first leather basketball. That was the year that Skills's father told us there was no Santa Claus."

"Yeah, and I tried to talk you out of that." Chase chuckles once Karen says that. "Then you said something I'll never forget. You said you felt bad for the kids who never figured it out, because when they grew up and had kids of their own, there wouldn't be any gifts on Christmas morning. You're a good kid, Chase. But sometimes I feel like you're sitting out your life on account of me and I don't want that for you. My past is not your future, okay?"

* * *

Beck is lifting weights when his dad comes in. "What are you slinging?" Douglas asked.

"Slinging about 160." Beck answered him.

"Give me that." Douglas grabbed the weights. "Your mom called. She won't be back-" Douglas paused. "What do you know about Whitey inviting..."

"Inviting your son to play?"

"Don't call him that."

"Dad, he's got our last name."

"The fact that he has your last name is only wishful thinking on his mother's part. We were young - summer after high school. We made a mistake."

"You made a mistake, all right. I mean, this guy's a zombie." Beck spoke.

"Okay."

"Look, it's kind of screwed up, all right? People talk about it." Beck grunts.

"Get out of here." Douglas takes the weights. "I want you to go to this kid and encourage him _not _to play."

"I'm not afraid of him, dad."

"Well, you should be. We've worked too hard to have anyone coming in now. Anyway, this has more to do with Whitey and me than you."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's a long story. If you want, I'll tell you someday. But for now, I want you to go to this kid and talk to him and trust me when I tell you, Beck, there's a bigger picture and this kid's not in it."

* * *

Later, Beck is talking to his friends. "So, your pops finally mentioned the spawn, huh? They say he's got game." One of the boys says. "Maybe we could use him."

"Please." Beck says. "I can get us to the state championship with three blind guys and a cripple, which is practically what I got with you and what's left."

"So where are we going?"

"Let's go to the park." Beck and his friend go to the park to watch Chase play. When Chase makes a basket, Beck lets him know he's there.

"Nice shot. Think you can hit that against a double team, down by 2, packed house telling you that you suck? How about just two people telling you that you suck?"

"What do you want?" Chase looks at him, ball on his hip.

"What do I want? What do you want, man? I mean, other than my girlfriend and my spot in the lineup, huh? None of us want you on the team, man. I don't want you. The guys don't want you. My girlfriend surely doesn't want you. But here's the deal. You and me, one on one. You can name the time and place. If you win, I'll quit the team. If I win, you can crawl back in your little hole and you remember your place in all this. Choose the time and place, man, time and place."

Beck walks off.

* * *

Chase is talking to Bree later about earlier. "So, Beck challenged you? Are you gonna play?

"I don't know. It's not like I have anything to prove."

"But you just don't want to show him sometimes - oh, damn!" Bree shouts when a flock of birds fly in front of Chase and Bree.

"What is up? I was attacked!"

"By the way, it's a murder."

"What?"

"More than one crow is a murder." Chase tells her.

Bree scoffs, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"There's a parliament of owls; an exultation of larks; a murder of crows." Chase explains.

"I think that's why people think you're weird, right there." Bree chuckles.

"Ah, man, I would like to show him sometimes, though, what a mistake he's made."

"Douglas?"

"Mostly for mom and sometimes for me."

"So, Chase, what are ravens - I mean, more than one?"

"It means unkindness."

"Guess that describes Beck and Douglas."

* * *

Cat's car breaks down, and Donald and Chase are working on a car at the shop. Chase finishes telling Donald about the whole confrontation with Beck and the basketball challenge. Chase also tells him about Whitey asking him to play for the team.

"Why wouldn't you play?"

"I do play, every night."

"It's not the same, Chase."

"Why? What makes it less of a game if people _don't _see it?"

"I'll tell you why." Donald starts telling Chase one of his childhood memories. "When I was a kid, my father took me to Raleigh to see David Thompson play. I was 9 years old. I couldn't have cared less about basketball. But when Thompson stepped onto the court, he was so young, so quick, and just so graceful that I was mesmerized. I couldn't take my eyes off him until late in the game, and I look up at my dad and he's got tears in his eyes. 14,000 strangers and my father were crying because he's so beautiful. He played with such poetry that he made us feel like we were a part of it. You have a gift, Chase, and it's a crime not to let people see it, to hide it in the park. It's a shame. That's why."

When Donald finishes, the phone rings. He walks to the phone and answers it. "This is Donald's body shop and towing."

Moments later, Chase finds himself going to tow Cat's car. "That's me inside your head." Chase said.

"What?"

"NOFX, "That's me inside your head" it's the lyrics from..."

"I know the song." Cat snatches out her cell phone and dials Beck. "Beck...it's me. Alright, well, listen, my car broke down. You're gonna have to come pick me up. So, leave the gym...Listen, it'll take you, like, 10 minutes. I'm on River Road around the curve. Well, sucks to be you."

"Listen," Chase starts after she hangs up on him. "Are you sure you got a ride? I mean, I wait if you want."

"Yeah, that's what I want. Listen, have your dad call me with an estimate."

"He's my uncle."

"Well, if that's your story."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"It's a free country." Cat answers him.

"Why are you a cheerleader? No offense or anything, but you're about the least cheery person I know."

* * *

Cat is still waiting on Beck to come pick her up. Chase stands looking at her beside the tow truck.

"Come on, let me give you a ride." Chase offered. "I'll let you insult me."

"First of all, you don't know me. Second of all, you don't know me. God, why are guys such jerks?!" Cat shouts and puts her hand on her head.

"All guys or just Beck?"

"Him...you."

"I don't know. We share the same father."

"Yeah, I heard that. He's kind of an ass. So that must suck having to see him around."

"It sucks for my mom. I never knew him."

"But she told you he was your dad?"

"Yeah, eventually. We used to play in junior leagues together - me and Beck."

"Basketball?"

"Yeah, and I loved it. I was good at it. You ever have something that you knew that you were better at than almost anybody else?"

"Sex...that was a joke."

"Anyway...guys kept teasing me about it, about how Beck's dad was my dad, too. So I asked my mom and she said he wasn't. But I get home, and I hear her crying in her room. I knew it was true. So I never went back. I told my mom it was because I didn't want to have to see his face. But it was mostly because I didn't want her to have to." Chase sighs.

"Why did you just tell me all that?" Cat asked. "I mean, we barely know each other."

"Maybe that's the point."

* * *

At the shop, Douglas had just finished asking Donald about giving Beck a job here. "Beck's got a shot here, Donald, areal future."

"He's got a real future? Let me ask you something. Do you ever even think about Chase's future? Do you ever think about that?"

"I can't change the fact that this kid exists. If I could, I would. The truth is that I told Karen I'd take care of it but she..." Douglas gets cut off by keys jingling. Chase walks in, he throws the key, and runs out.

* * *

Chase is now confronting Beck at the gym. "Tomorrow night; at the riverfront, but if I win; I'm going to want something else."

"What exactly is that?" Beck looked at him.

"If I win...you stay on the team. It shouldn't even affect you in anyway if I joined the team."

* * *

At the car dealership, Karen comes to see Douglas.

"I love that car." Douglas spoke. "I love that car. My wife's got that car. I'm guessing you're not car shopping." He watches as Karen walks to him.

"He's a boy who wants to play basketball reluctantly. I find it horrifying and amusing it takes something as simple as that to bring you around."

"I'm only thinking of the kid."

"You have no right to think of him, not today or any other day of his life."

"Are you finished?"

"I haven't even started. We've asked nothing of you, and you have delivered in fine fashion. I'll expect that to continue. If Chase decides to play, you'll do nothing. Anything else might make me angry and detract from the pleasant, cordial side you see now."

"You know I know your son doesn't exactly fit in, but Beck is all-state, and I'm not sure why you'd want to humiliate your kid like that."

"You're right, Douglas. I'd rather not humiliate him. You've done that enough to Beck."

* * *

At home, Douglas sees Beck has a pierced nipple. Beck looks to see that Douglas is staring at him. "What?"

"If I wanted a daughter, I would've adopted one."

"So you could abandon her, too?" Beck speaks. "That was just a joke."

"Yeah, and this bet tonight, is that a joke, too? Or would you really quit the team? You have everything to lose here and nothing to gain."

"Sometimes what you call "everything," I call "nothing."

"I just think it's best if you don't do this, Beck. We'll find another way."

"No. Dad, I do a lot of stuff for you, almost everything. But I'm gonna do this for me." Just then, Cat walks out of Beck's bathroom wearing a towel.

"Hi, Mr. Davenport," Cat greets him.

* * *

At the café, Donald and Karen are talking.

"So, I would have preferred a warning shot on this one. Something to let me know what was coming with Chase." Karen spoke as she sipped some tea.

"Yeah, that's fair enough. But you should see him play, Karen. I mean, it's like - it's like poetry, you know? And he's gonna be fine."

"Yeah I know. Do you ever wonder about it, Donald? How we got to this?"

"How we got to hanging out in the old café and lamenting the past with Bree listening from behind."

"I am not listening." Bree pops up from behind the counter. "Okay, I was. I am."

"Right, I just wondered how we got here so fast."

"I don't know. When I see Chase in high school, it seems like a blink of an eye. But otherwise, it seems like it's been forever.

* * *

Bree joins Chase on the roof and turns the lights on.

"Wow." Chase stares in amazement. Bree smiles and stands next to him. "This place looks great."

"Thanks. I just finished putting up the lights. Miniature golf is never going to be the same. Your mom is worried. She's downstairs with Donald picking through her past."

"Do you think I'm being selfish playing Beck?" Chase asks, taking a seat on the roof. Bree takes a seat next to him.

"Well, do you?"

"A little bit. I mean, if I walked away, then my mom wouldn't be downstairs worried about it now.

"You know, I don't say things like this very often 'cause it sounds weird, but...you're a really good guy, and I'm glad we're friends. But you and your mom worry too damn much."

* * *

Back at the park, Leo is getting ready to announce the game. He grabs the microphone and sits next to Jimmy.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to a historic night of basketball. I'm Leo Shapiro, along with my gamey partner, Jimmy Edwards, and Jimmy; we're in for a treat tonight."

"And who doesn't love a treat, Leo?" Jimmy speaks into the microphone when Leo hands it to him. "I know I do - s'mores, ice cream, cake."

Cat is talking to Beck as he gets ready to play. "So, if you're not doing it for your dad, then why are you doing it?"

"You wouldn't get it. I guess not."

"So what if this guy plays? Are you really that threatened?"

"Well, then why do it? To prove okay, so what if he wins? What does he get?"

"He gets you." Beck walks off as spectators talk indistinctly.

Leo starts talking into the microphone again. "Just moments before the stroke of 12:00, and still no Beck Davenport."

"The natives are getting restless, Leo, judging by the crowd that envelops our booth." Jimmy grabs the microphone and speaks into it.

"You don't have a booth." Junk snapped.

"Junk Morreti joins us now. Junk, you care to make a prediction?"

"I predict you guys will be the two biggest morons out here." A car pulls up to the river court.

"And it looks like Beck Davenport has arrived, driven by car right onto the court."

The crowd starts chanting, "Beck! Beck!" Chanting continues, cheers and applause as the game starts. "Let's go, Beck!"

"Okay, folks," Leo starts. "Here we go - 15 by ones. Make it, take it, win by one, and you can feel the intensity in the in air."

"Are you ready for this?" Beck asked Chase.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's your life."

"Yeah, it is."

Beck passed Chase the ball and the game started. Chase tricks Beck into which direction he was going and makes a basket over Beck's head.

"Oh! A 25-footer rips the silk like Jimmy Edwards in a size 3 dress."

"Go ahead, man. I'll give you that all night." Beck says. Beck gets the ball and gives it back to Chase. Beck gets in a go-ready position as Chase dribbles the ball. He does another 25-footer.

"Is that all you got, man? If that's all you got, this is over." Beck remarks.

"Yeah, all right!" Leo shouts into the microphone. He passes it to Jimmy.

"This looks to be a battle, Leo. Yeah! Yeah!"

The game goes on with both boys making great shots. Beck elbows Chase in the face.

"No foul. Basket counts. Besides...you won't score again." says Chase.

"Oh, the basket counts." Leo says. "It's 14-12, game point for Beck. He could win it all right here. Beck for the win. Holy crap!" Chase makes an unbelievable block. "Did you see that?! Someday, men will write stories about that block. Children will be named after it; Vegainean women will weep for it. Chase gets a basket, and he's down by one."

"You're down by one, man." Beck walks back to him with the basketball. "Don't choke now."

"Another dagger and it's all tied up! I think I'm gonna puke!"

"Come on, Beck! Come on, shut him down, Beck!"

"This is it, folks...no going back now. The next basket wins it."

"He's never mentioned you, man, not once in all these years." Beck tells him.

"This is for my mom." Chase makes the winning shot!

"Chase for the win!" Leo shouts happily. "It's good! It's good! Chase Davenport takes it 15-14 and there is bedlam and delirium and felicity for all!"

"So, what did you bet?" Cat asks Chase.

"I win, Beck stays on the team."

"Why?"

"Because it's the last think he wants. And anyway, it's not about him." Chase looks at her. Beck comes back.

"Cat."

"I'll be seeing you." Chase tells her as she walks back to Beck.

* * *

Beck enters his house and looks to see his dad in the living room watching TV. Douglas looks at him as Beck stares at him. "Don't worry dad. Your dreams are still safe."

* * *

Chase enters the gym and everyone stops. They stare at him as he stands there with a basketball.

_"There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood leads onto the fortune. But omitted, and the voyage of their life is bound in shallows in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat and we must take the current when it serves. Or lose the ventures before us." - Lucas Scott_


	2. The Places You Have Come to Fear Most

**The Places You Have Come to Fear Most**

At the playground court, a boat passes by as Chase stands with a basketball. It was the night Chase was going to play his first game in the gym.

"Be nice, be nice, and put it in there. There you go." Leo talks.

"Chase." Skills calls him. "What up dog? Check this out. You shoot this one. See what you got." Chase shoots and the ball goes in.

"Ahh!"

"Come on, let's move!" Leo shouts near the car.

"Time to go." Skills walked to the car with Chase following.

"Six-thirty, Chase!"

"Oh, come on don't gotta come. It's just a game." Chase said.

"Right." Skills says sarcastically. "Finstock asked you to play on the team."

"And Beck threatens you." Junk is the next one to state the fact.

"You beat him right here one on one, you join the team." Leo is the next one to speak.

"And now it's the first game and we ain't gotta come? Um-um. We are going. This game is for all of us." Skills tosses Chase the ball. Chase catches it and looks at his friends.

"Let's go, Chase!" Jimmy shouts.

* * *

A truck goes by Karen's Cafe. Everyone in it is chanting "Dingos." Karen's behind the counter and Donald walks over.

"Karen! You ready to go?"

"Oh. I'm not going. I decided to stay open. I could use the business."

"You talk to Chase about this?"

"No. But he'll understand."

"Karen-" Bree interrupts him at the door.

"She doesn't want to go. She doesn't want to see her high school sweetheart slash your brother Douglas slash the jerk who abandoned Chase slash the father of Beck, the team's star player. Slash my wrists if I hear this story again. Let's go."

Donald looks at Karen as he steps backward toward Bree. "I think you're making a mistake." Donald told Karen on his way out. Donald and Bree leave, leaving Karen to look after them with an upset expression.

* * *

At the Davenport house, Douglas and Beck are walking as Douglas speaks. "Whitey can put this kid on the team, he can put him in the game, but he can't put him in your game. So shut him out. And shut down the opposition. You've got Broner tonight. They're pretty good so be ready."

"Alright."

* * *

Beck walks in the locker room smashing fists with a friend. He reaches his locker and glares at Chase. Whitey walks in.

"Davenport!" He shouts. Chase follows him into his office. "You nervous?"

"A little bit."

"Good, you should be." He gives him a blue and white jersey. "Just do what you've been doing all week in practice. You'll be fine."

* * *

As Chase exits Whitey's office, Jimmy and Leo walk toward him

"Chase! You mind if we get a few words before your first game?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, we're going to put it on the internet." said Jimmy.

"Yeah. We're going to have a webcast and everything." Leo says as Whitey walks out of his office and spots the three.

"What the hell is this?"

"Well, we have this website." Leo starts explaining to him.

"Yeah, we're sports announcers."

"Not in here, you're not. The locker rooms closed. No media." He walks off.

"Dude, did you hear that? We're media."

"Not just media; banned media." Leo and Jimmy laugh happily and walk away. Chase looks after them, mildly entertained.

* * *

In the locker room, the team's lined up, about to exit. They're chanting, "They don't what! Or we're gonna what! Or what! Or what!"

"Alright, let's take the court."

"Dingos! Dingos! Dingos! Dingos! Dingos!"

Chase is toward the end of the line. He's not chanting. Neither is Beck, who's behind him.

"Want my world?" Beck asked. "You've got it."

Beck and Chase walk out, almost side by side. The players are warming up. Douglas walks onto the bleachers behind Donald and Bree. He pats Donald on the shoulder.

"Donald! Hey, finally came to see your nephew play, huh, big brother?"

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." Donald responds as he and Bree share a look.

On the court, Beck shoots a basket and gets it in. Leo and Jimmy are sitting in the audience when Leo speaks into a recorder. "Tonight, Chase Davenport plays his first game for the Mission Creek Dingos."

"That's right, Leo. Now, the Dingos are 5 and 0. But this is their first game following the suspension of six varsity players."

Chase shoots a basket when he hears Douglas shout, "Son!" Chase turns around and he and Douglas stare at each other uncomfortably. Beck runs up and throws a basketball at Chase.

"Wake up." He says when the whistle blows and the team runs over to Coach Whitey.

"All right, come in! Hustle! Hustle!"

Cat and Jade are standing on the edge of the gym when Jade asks, "So that's the boy who beat Beck?" Cat nods. "Well, he's good from behind." Jade added.

"Dingos on three." Tim shouted when the hustle was over. "One, two, three!"

"Dingos" The team shouts.

"Chase, relax. Destiny has a way of finding you." Whitey tells him.

Beck and another guy battle for control of the ball during the toss off. The ball goes flying.

"Come on, Beck!"

"Let's go, Chase!" Bree and Donald shout. Chase goes to catch the ball and narrowly misses hitting Cat with it.

"Nice hands." Cat comments.

"Nice legs." Chase runs back to the game leaving Cat surprised. As Chase runs by him, Douglas watches.

"Let's see some game!" Donald shouts.

An opponent has the ball and Chase is unable to stop the opposing team from scoring a basket. Whitey and Douglas shake their heads.

"Hey, which side you on?" Beck asks him. Cat and Jade continue to cheer.

"Go Dingos!" Cat shouts. Chase is thrown the ball. He goes to shoot and misses. Donald and Bree wince. He tries again and misses again. Douglas grins. After the third time, Beck grabs the ball and shoots it in.

Douglas claps and shouts, "Go Beck!" A whistle blows.

"Out!" Whitey pauses. "Good!" Chase walks over.

"It's not your night, son." Whitey tells him as Chase sits on the bench and Beck runs by.

"Take some notes, punk."

* * *

In Beck's car, Cat and he are making out and he starts to laugh. Cat starts glaring at him.

"What? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Hey, I'm sorry." They start kissing again, but Beck laughs again. Cat moves away.

"Unbelievable."

"What? Cat, did you see how bad he sucked?

"So?"

"He was horrible. I've never seen a guy play so bad."

"And you enjoyed that?"

"Well, hell yeah. Didn't you?" Beck says. Cat looks away. "What is this, Cat? Do you like this guy or something?"

Cat laughs and moves towards him and says, "You mean more than my boyfriend who I'm trying to make out with right now?"

"Well, go put some ice on it. You ever think I might want to talk?"

Cat moves back. "No, you don't. You want to celebrate a public humiliation and I'm sorry, that's a little played out."

"Oh and being with you isn't?"

Cat glares at him and gets out of the car.

"Oh, Cat, come on, I was joking." Cat walks away and Beck rolls the window down.

"Are you getting in the car?" Beck pauses. "Please?" She still doesn't budge. "Fine." Beck throws her pompoms out the window. "Take your lame music too." He throws her CDs out as well. "And have a nice walk home." He drives away.

Cat screams after him. "Damn it, Beck! That CD was hard to find! It's an import."

* * *

Someone knocks on the door of Karen's Cafe. "It's open." Karen says and Donald walks in

"Hey."

"Is he okay?" Karen asks.

"I don't know. I didn't see him afterward." Donald pauses. "You should've been there."

"Well, you shouldn't have gone to Whitey."

"I thought you supported this."

"I support Chase. I didn't have much of a choice after you went and got him on the team, did I?"

"What's going on?" Donald asks.

"I should've been there. I thought it was over, Donald, I really did. Maybe I've just been hiding. Just, I can't go back there. The place knows too much." Karen looks up.

* * *

Chase is trying to shoot some hoops at the playground court but he's failing to score. A voice spins him around. "I guess misery really does love company." Chase looks to see Cat.

"What are you doing here?" He asks.

"Actually, I'm not here. I was never here." Cat starts to walk away.

"You know, I shoot the ball and it goes in. I don't ask questions, I don't think about it. It's just the way it is."

"Or the way it is."

"Yes."

"Chase, it's just a game. Who cares if the entire school, most of your friends and half the town saw you suck?"

"So you've clearly come to cheer me up." Cat smiles at him when he finishes.

"Want a ride?" Chase offers.

* * *

At the Davenport house, Douglas' watching a tape of the game when Beck walks in. "Beck!" Douglas shouts. Beck comes over to him.

"Look at this. What did you do there?"

"I was double teamed, so I found the open man."

"Wrong. You gave up a scoring opportunity in the post."

"What? Dad, I was double teamed. I scored 28 points."

"30 points would've looked better to the scouts, don't you think?" Douglas pauses. "Go to sleep. You look winded in the fourth quarter. We'll go for a run together in the morning."

"You wonder why Mom extends those business trips." Beck mumbles as he starts to walk away.

* * *

A truck pulls to a stop outside of Cat's house. Cat looks at him and asks, "Look, you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Shoot." Chase responded.

"Why'd you decide to do it? Join the team? Because you don't exactly fit in here, do you?"

"The game, I guess. I love the game." Chase answered.

"Right. The same reason I cheer. It's all a big game. Why not just stay on the playground? Why join the varsity?"

"I want to know if I'm good."

"Well, if you ask my opinion, we all just wasted a perfectly good evening; you, me, and everyone else in there."

Chase asks, "Then why do you do it? I mean, do you really like it or not?"

"If I say that I like it, then I'm just another cheerleader. But if I say that I hate it, then I'm either a liar or a fraud. Either way I lose." Cat answers and goes to get out but turns to ask Chase, "Do you want to come in?"

"What about Beck?"

"What about him?" Cat gets out and Chase thinks about it, then gets out and follows her to the door. "What are you doing?"

"Um, you just said..."

"I didn't invite you to come in. I asked if you wanted to." Cat pauses. "Thanks for the ride." Cat walks inside and shuts the door in his face.

* * *

Karen is sitting at home waiting for Chase to arrive. He walks in and looks at her. "Hi honey." She greets him."

"I looked for you."

"Yeah, we were, uh, busy at the café. Which is the good thing, right?"

"Sure." Chase said even though he felt slightly hurt that his mom didn't close the shop to go watch her own son play. He starts to walk away but she stops him.

"Chase!" He turns around. "I'm sorry I missed it."

"Yeah, me too." Chase responded. She watches him go to his room upset.

* * *

Cat's web cam is up, and the real Cat is shown. The phone rings and she picks it up. Seeing it is Beck, she hangs up. Cat's making a drawing. It's of a car pulling away from a girl. The phone rings again, and she picks it up again. She answers it this time.

"I'm sorry." She hears Beck's voice on the other side of the phone.

"Cat's not here right now, just her lame music."

"Look, I'm really sorry, it's just...this guy's on the team now, and my dad's been hammering me about it." He pauses. "But I shouldn't take it out on you. I know that." As he speaks, Cat covers her webcam.

"Beck, I'm tired of this."

"I know. I just...look, I haven't been very good to you lately and I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, okay?" He pauses. "Just say it's okay so that when I see you tomorrow we can start being us again. Okay, Cat?"

"Okay." She looks at her drawing. The words "It's not okay" are written across the top."

* * *

At Mission Creek high, all the teens are in class. "Early in his career, Hemingway was frustrated. He was a good writer who wanted to be great. And eventually, he discovered that less is more." The teacher pauses. "Cat, describe Chase using just one word." Everyone looks at Cat.

"Choke." Everyone laughs.

"Okay, be quiet please." The teacher says. "Thank you. Chas, care to respond and describe Cat?"

"Lonely." Chase looks at Cat and the class "oohs". Beck raises his hand.

"Yes, Beck?"

"I can describe Chase in one word." Chase looks at him. "Crap."

"Alright, alright, that's enough!" Cat looks shocked when Chase jumps out of his chair and attacks Beck. The two proceed to fight.

Before Chase knows it, he's in Whitey's office. Whitey looks at him with anger and says, "I'd stand up and every time I do, somebody kicks me in the butt for putting you on the team. Sit down!"

Chase sits and Whitey continues, "Boy, I must be getting senile, because I thought you were different. I stuck my neck out for you. I trusted you."

"I shouldn't have hit him. You're right."

"Dang right, I'm right."

Chase pauses. "I don't think I can do this."

"Right; one bad game and you just run away."

Chase leans forward. "I didn't run away." His voice then turns sincere. "That's why I'm in your office."

* * *

In the locker room, Tim and Beck are talking about the fight that took place in the classroom. "So what happened after you tackled him." Tim asks.

"Kelly broke it up. Any longer I might've destroyed him."

"Or he might've beaten your butt." Robbie Shapiro joined in.

"What do you know about it, Shapiro?"

"What do any of us know about anything? But if I had to take a guess, I'd say that he tackled you first. And I'm pretty sure that you were at the bottom of it when Mr. Kelly broke it up."

"Well, you're wrong." Beck responds. "Why don't you grab a rebound every now and then, huh?"

"What, are you putting on makeup?" Whitey shouts when he comes into the locker room. "Get in the gym and start warming up." Beck and Tim start to leave. Whitey directs something to Robbie, "Shapiro, when you find the pumps to match your skirt, you my meet us in the gym." He and Shapiro both smile. They have a different relationship than Whitey has with the rest of the players.

"Hey, this is just the start of it for you." Beck tells Chase as Chase opens his locker.

"Beck!" Whitey shouts. Beck leaves and Chase gets ready.

* * *

Later, Bree is playing the rooftop mini-golf course when Chase comes up. She looks at him and says, "Any side effects?"

"Side effects from what?" He asks.

"Side effects from your amnesia. I'm talking about how you must've gotten amnesia because I know that you would've mentioned that you got into a fight today." Bree pauses. "Are you okay, Chase?"

"Yes." He pauses. "You ever wake up from a really good dream and try to get back to sleep? Or you got the flu and you promise yourself that you'd appreciate normal so much more if you could just get back to it?"

"Yeah."

"That's the way I feel. I just want things to go back to the way they were."

"With basketball?"

"With everything."

* * *

"You know, it's really too bad Chase is poor and he can't play because he is fine." Jade pauses. She and Cat were hanging out in Cat's room. "Hey, I think it's really good that you're fighting with Beck again."

"You do?"

"Yeah, every time you guys fight I get to hear new music."

Cat kicks her playfully and she laughs. Jade says, "Hey, did you buy the new Beyoncé?"

"No."

"You know, Cat, I know you're all Gwen Stefani, plaid skirt, I'm a badass, but we love you anyway, and you know why? Friday nights, when it is game time, there you are as one of us."

"P.S. Gwen Stefani is not a badass." Cat pauses. "You ever look past it, Jade?"

"Past what?"

"All of it; the high school, basketball, and just the whole popularity drama?"

"Yeah, I mean, I think about the future sometimes and it scares me. But then I think I'll go to college, I'll join the right sorority, I'll marry a rich guy...unless I get fat."

Cat nods, seemingly shocked by the shallowness.

* * *

"Look, it's only one game, Chase." Donald says as he and Chase stand in "Donald Davenport's Car and Body Shop". "Even Jordan played lousy in his first pro game."

"Michael Jordan scored 16 points in his first pro game."

"Yeah, I know that. I just didn't think you did. All I'm saying is, you know, you've got to shake it off."

"What if I can't do it, Donald? I mean maybe I can't play at this level."

"You can."

"Well, maybe not. And plus, it's all of them. I don't fit into their world. I never will. It's stupid."

"Even Jordan got cut from his high school varsity team and he did okay." Donald paused as a thought of Karen slipped through his mind. "What did your mom say about it?"

"I haven't talked to her yet."

"Well, you should."

"Why?"

"Because she deserves it. I mean, she's going through this thing, too. You're not the only one." Donald looks inside Cat's car and whistles. "It's a rule of life...the prettier the girl, the messier the car, it's a real turnoff, huh?" Donald's not exaggerating. The car is truly disgusting. Chase reaches in and pulls out a sketchbook. Opening it, he finds a letter to Thud Magazine and a few sketches.

"Those are my sketches!" Cat shouts and walks up behind Chase and grabs the sketchbook.

"Um...I wasn't looking."

"This is personal, alright. I don't read your diary!"

"I don't have a diary."

"No? Dear Diary, my daddy doesn't love me." Cat mocked. "P.S., Stay out of my stuff!" She storms off.

* * *

Beck's lifting weights outside the house when Douglas walks up to him. "What's this I hear about a fight?" He asks.

"It was nothing." Beck says.

Douglas asks, "Did you win?"

"Dad, it was nothing!" He shouted.

"No, son, it was something, because if it was nothing, the principal wouldn't have called me at the dealership. Do you realize how fast a suspension or bad reputation can ruin your prospects?"

"Dad, he was hitting on my girlfriend! What do you want me to do?"

"Hitting on your girlfriend? Beck, if you're going to get in a fight, then gets in a fight over something important. Did you get hurt?"

"No."

"Okay, good." He starts to walk away but stops when Beck asks if he did. "Me? Why?

"He wasn't swinging at me, Dad, he was swinging at you."

* * *

"So, you gonna tell me about the fight or you just assume I know about it while I yell at you?" Karen, Bree, and Chase are sitting at a table in Chase's house. He glares at Bree.

"Is that the phone? I'll get it." The phone's clearly not ringing but Bree gets up anyway.

"I'm still here."

"Mom, he had it coming. You know he said..."

"No. When they called me today, I was certain they had the wrong boy. And then they told me they had two Davenport's and I could take my pick. Honestly, Chase, fighting in class? Fighting at all?"

"The guy was being a jerk."

"And this is suddenly a surprise to you? He hasn't been a jerk before?"

"No. He's always a jerk."

"So why go down to his level?" Karen pauses. "This wouldn't have anything to do with playing poorly, would it?"

"How would you know? You weren't even there!" Chase shouts angrily. Karen, shocked and saddened, gets up and leaves.

"I'm sorry, Mom...Mom! I'm s-"He gives up. He looks out the window to see Cat at the building, Thud Magazine. She doesn't enter and drops her sketchbook in the trash. Chase walks out and runs to the trash can. He reaches in and pulls the sketchbook out, then looks at Thud Magazine.

* * *

Chase walks outside the next morning and sits down with Karen on the bench. "How'd you sleep?" She asked.

"Not so good. I had this really bad dream where I was a jerk to my mom."

"Listen." They both say.

"Jinx." He says and playfully punches Karen's shoulder.

"Hey." She punches him back and he laughs.

"Sorry."

"No. I'm sorry. I should've told you the truth about why I couldn't be there. I- I really wanted to Chase, but the idea of walking into that gym..." Karen pauses. "That's where he told me he was going away to college without me. That's where everything changed." They're both quiet. "I don't regret one second of one day with you, okay? I don't. But that was a hard day in that gym. And it was basketball that he chose. And I'm sorry that you have to hear things like that, but I don't want to lie to you either."

"I'm sorry you had to live it." They hug.

* * *

Beck and Douglas are outside walking. Beck is listening to Douglas as he tells him something. "Look, I want to talk about what's happening with the team. I know you think I've been hard on you, but that's because I see the big picture here. Whitey's not going to bench this kid just because of one bad game."

"So what? Let him embarrass himself."

"No, it's more than that. Back when I played for Whitey, his word was law. He was always right even when he was wrong. So eventually, I called him in on it."

"And he benched you in the state championship."

"Yeah, so he claimed. He covered and acted like he benched me." Douglas continued. "But you should know the truth. I refused to go back in that game. We were ahead in the fourth quarter, and Whitey wanted to stall. What did I tell you about playing with the lead?"

"Be aggressive."

"Exactly. Be aggressive. Plus, there were scouts who were there to see me. This guy was checking me. He was going to some big college back in Tinkham, so I did. I disobeyed Douglas and I scored on him.

"Nice." Beck and Douglas come to a stop in front of their house and Dan helps Scott stretch his arms.

"Yeah, so Whitey called a time out and starts screaming about how it's his system that got us there and no one player was bigger than the team. So I said down and called his bluff."

"And they lost."

"Yeah, I felt bad for the guys. But he needed to know I'm the one who got us there. Not him and his system. Listen, Beck, I don't want you to back off this kid. No matter how poorly he plays, Whitey's just using him to get back at me. Eventually I'll deal with Whitey but for now, it's just you and me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay." Beck walks away.

* * *

Chase is walking in the library and Shapiro is behind him.

"Hey Chase." Shapiro falls into step behind him. "Tough game the other night."

"Yeah, it sure was." He's looking at Robbie weird.

"It happens." There's a short pause till Robbie speaks again. "So you read a lot, huh?"

"Yeah." He answers.

"Yeah, I got something for you. Listen, I know we haven't had really got a chance to talk much since you joined the team but I just kinda wanted to stay out of your way. Give you a chance to chill, you know." Robbie pauses and then realizes he never introduced himself. "Oh, I'm Robbie."

"Yeah, I know." Chase shakes his hand.

"There's a lot of talk about your one on one with Beck. Man, I wish I could've been there."

"Ah, it was no big deal."

"You know Beck, he's...he's a hell of player he really is. But he buys into all of this nonsense. You've got him scared; fear changes everything." Robbie hands Beck a copy of the book Atlas Shrugged.

"Atlas Shrugged?"

"Yeah, you read it?"

"No."

"It's good." He responds. "Anyway, you're gonna be fine. Just remember...don't let him take it."

"I don't know what that means."

"Yeah, I know. But you will soon." Robbie says and leaves as Chase looks after him then back at the book.

* * *

Everyone's back in Mr. Kelly's room. They're sitting at their desks as he teaches. "Okay, we're going to try out little Hemingway project again. But in order to avoid a bar fight," He looks at both Beck and Chase. "We're going to do it on paper. Now you don't have to put your names on these. Simply write one word, one single word, to describe what you want most in your life right now."

* * *

Chase is attempting to shoot the ball into the hoop when Beck walks over and grabs the ball. "It's like this." Beck shoots the ball in as Chase rolls his eyes. "You can't do it can you?" Beck pauses. "That's beautiful. I always wondered about it. We all do it, right?" He pauses again. "What happens when it's gone? But see, I've never seen anybody lose it; like really lose it...until now."

Beck shoots again then gives the ball to Chase. "Go ahead, man. Prove me wrong."

"I don't have to prove anything to you."

"That's pathetic, and it's too bad, really. I mean, I was looking forward to taking you down slowly, but now? Hell, what's the point? You already know it's over." Beck starts to walk away but stops and turns around. "I'd say see you at practice, but we both know you're not going to be there." He pauses. "Why humiliate yourself, right?"

As Beck walks away, Chase throws the ball and it hits Beck'a car. "You missed again."

* * *

At the gym, the team is practicing as Finstock takes attendance. "Chase Davenport!" He pauses. "Chase Davenport!" There's no answer and Whitey shakes his head, disappointed.

* * *

Cat's picking up her car and Chase is behind the counter as Cat fills out the forms. "No practice today?" Cat asks. Chase doesn't answer; instead, he throws her sketchbook on the counter. "What, are you stalking me?"

"I thought someone should see them."

"Well, it's none of your business."

"You know what? You're right; it's none of my business. I wouldn't know anything about it."

"I know you don't." Cat speaks as she starts to leave.

"Look, just tell me why you didn't submit them. Your stuff is good." Chase says walking out from the counter.

"It's not good enough."

"Look, Cat, why not?"

Cat turns around, "I want to draw something that means something to someone. You know, I want to draw blind faith or a fading summer or...just a moment of clarity. It's like when you go and you see a really great band live or for the first time, you know, and nobody's saying it but everybody's thinking it - 'We have something to believe in again.' I want to draw that feeling. But, I can't. And if I can't be great at it then I don't want to ruin it. It's too important to me." She starts to leave.

"Yep, me too." Chase mumbles. Cat turns around and looks at him before getting in her car and starting it. "Hey, about your sketch up?"

"What about them? They don't mean anything to anybody, do they?" Cat pulls out and Chase looks after her.

* * *

Douglas walks into Whitey's office and walks up to his desk.

"People who value their lives usually knock first." Whitey starts talking and looks up and sees Doug. "Oh, that explains it."

"It's like a time capsule in here."

"What can I do for you, Douglas?"

"Well...you can let it go."

"That's definitely the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?" Whitey laughs.

"If you got a problem with me, Whitey, don't take it out on Beck."

"What problem would that be, Doug?"

"Oh, I think you know; the state championship. Now you've gone and humiliated Karen's son in some feeble attempt to get even."

"Karen's son...that's a very convenient way of putting it...It might interest you to know that Karen's son has taken himself off the team. Does that make you happy, Douglas? Seeing the demise of the kid you fathered and then abandoned."

"Hey, move Beck back to shooting guard and you might finally win that state championship." Douglas starts to leave but stops in his tracks when Whitey speaks.

"You're just destroying kids' lives left and right, aren't you?"

"Well, you've made a career out of it."

* * *

There aren't any students in Mr. Kelly's classroom anymore and Mr. Kelly is sitting at his desk, going through a stack of small papers the kids wrote there word on. One of them says the word "truth." Then another one says, "Revenge.", along with another one that says "answers."

* * *

Chase is sitting on the picnic table at the river court as Whitey pulls up, gets out of his car, and walks over to Beck. "We missed you at practice."

"I can't do it."

"You want to know something?" Whitey takes a seat beside him. "I have had 35 winning seasons. Do you know what keeps me up at night? College jobs I never took. I could've been having a way of doing that."

"Yeah." Chase nods.

"We got a game tomorrow night. You're on my team until rip-off. The rest is up to you." Chase nods. "Look, son, there's no shame in being afraid. Hell, we're all afraid. What you've got to do is figure out what you're afraid of. Because when you put a face on it, you can beat it. Or better yet, you can use it." Whitey pauses. "Think about it."

Whitey leaves and Chase is clearly thinking about it.

* * *

Cat's lying on her bed reading a magazine as Beck paints her toenails. "You've got some ugly toes, girl."

"No I don't."

"Yeah, you do. They're practically fingers."

"Well, then just focus on the middle one."

"Aw, come on." Beck lies down next to her. "I was just joking. I love your toes." Beck pauses. "So I'm thinking about quitting the team."

"Right." Cat sarcastically says.

"No, I'm serious. I don't even like it anymore. Whitey can't stand me. It's never good enough for my dad."

Cat's getting excited; she likes this. She's actually smiling. "I think you should. Why not, right? I mean, you can quit the team and I'll quit cheerleading and then...we can just walk away from it. Beck let's do it!"

* * *

Bree and Chase are walking down the street when Bree brings up a subject. "Did you ever figure out your porn name?"

"What are you talking about?" Chase raises his eyebrow.

"Your porn name; Um, you know, you take the name of your first pet and your mother's maiden name and you put them together. What was the name of your first pet?"

"You know that. I had a dog named Rocket."

"Oh, Rocket! Ah! I loved Rocket!" Bree paused. "So your mother's maiden name is Roe. Rocket Roe," Bree laughed. "Nice."

"What's yours?"

"Uh, oh, I had a bunny, named Bunny."

"You had a bunny named Bunny?"

"Yes, I did. And my mother's maiden name is Beaugard. So...nice."

"Bunny Beaugard." Chase says and Bree repeats him.

"Bunny Beaugard."

"Dawson's Freak; starring Rocket Roe and Bunny Beaugard."

"Nice." Chase says.

Bree shouts, "Shut up!" Chase starts to walk away but she stops him. "Hey, um, this game tonight. You're not playing anymore?"

"No." Bree paused. "You know I've never walked away from anything before, Bree?"

"Yeah, you haven't."

"But I can't do it. And even worse, I don't know why I can't do it. You know, it's like, no matter how confusing or screwed up life got, the game always made sense. It was mine, you know. And in a lot of ways, it's who I am. But I can't be that person in their gym, or in their uniforms, or...in their world."

"I hear you, Chase, but I know you, and I know that no matter what happens you're still going to be the same guy you always were. No uniform, a...whatever is gonna ruin that, you know?" Bree paused. "Call me later. We'll go get some pizza."

* * *

Chase flips through Cat's sketchbook at him. He stops on a sketch with a bunch of similarly dressed people with one exception. Over it, it says, "They are not you." Karen walks in with a lot of laundry.

"Hey." Chase looks up once he hears her.

"I took the night off. I thought I'd take in a basketball game."

"Sorry mom."

"No, Chase, I'm sorry. I've always loved the game, even in the junior leagues." Karen laughs before continuing. "I remember when they issued you your first jersey, and I couldn't get you out of that. You wore that thing for weeks. Then you decided to quit playing. Do you remember why?"

Chase looks upset but doesn't answer. "Chase?"

"I didn't want to see his face."

"Douglas."

"I didn't want to be like him. And I was afraid that I'd become him if I played." Chase paused. "In the gym, I felt like he had a piece of me. I never felt like that on the playground."

"Well, I'd say he's taken enough from us. I took the night off to watch my son play again the way that he used to when he loved the game more than anything." Karen sets Chase's laundry down and starts to leave.

"Mom?" Karen pokes her head back in. "Thank you."

"It's hard to fight the things that we're afraid of. Sometimes we just need a little help." Karen leaves and Chase looks back down at the sketches.

* * *

A man is closing up at Thud Magazine when Chase runs over. "Hey! Hold on!" He reaches the man and taps him on the shoulder. "Here, could you take a look at these? You won't be disappointed."

"Sure. Okay." The man takes the sketches and Chase runs off. Bree is working behind the counter when she sees Chase run past. Her lips form a small smile.

* * *

Beck's about the leave the house with Douglas following behind him. "It's time to focus now, Beck. Put everything out of you reminds that bothers you." His voice starts to get echo-y. "I don't want you to think about Whitey. I don't want you think about your teammates. Let them think about you, son. The other team's thinking about you and they're scared. I'll see you at the game."

Beck, looking upset, starts to leave.

* * *

The cheerleaders are already warming up when Cat walks in. She sits next to Jade. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show." Jade said.

"It's game night. Where else would I be?"

* * *

In the hallway by the locker room, Douglas walks quickly, trying to stop Chase. "Uh, son!" Chase turns around surprised. Douglas' surprised too considering he didn't know it was Chase, not Beck.

"Give this to my boy, would you?" Dan hands Chase Beck's gym bag and leaves. Another voice spins Chase around. He looks to see Robbie.

"Don't let him take it; your talent." Robbie paused. "It's all yours." Robbie takes the bag from Chase, saving him the embarrassment. Chase looks back in Douglas' direction, upset.

* * *

Karen and Donald walk into the gym and Karen sees Douglas in the audience. Cat and Jade are cheering with excitement.

* * *

Cat's artwork is being looked at by the Thud Magazine guy.

* * *

The guys are about to file out. "Don't choke." Beck silently tells him as he stands next to him. The team runs out and Chase turns to Cat.

"Cat!" He shouts, catching her attentions. She looks at him. "Your art matters. It's what got me here in the first place." As he says that, her lips split into a small smile.

All the team's hands are placed on top of each other as a smiling Whitey looks on. "Let's go, let's go! Dingos on three! One, two, three!"

"Dingos!" The team shouts before spreading out on the court. However, Chase stayed behind. Whitey looked at him.

"You're gonna be okay."

"Yeah, I am." Chase sees Dan in the bleachers. They look at each other and Chase turns around to join his teammates. Douglas watches as the name "Davenport" falls from Chase's jersey.

_"Do not let your fire go out, spark by the irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not quite, the not yet, and the not at all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists. It is real. It is possible. It is yours." - Lucas Scott_


	3. Are You True?

**A/N: {_? _} means who is with who. **

_Chapter 3 - Are You True _

**{GYM}**

After a successful basketball game, Chase walks into the gym, dressed into normal clothes. Chase was definitely better than the first time he played. With his bag filled with his basketball stuff, he walks to Donald and Karen. Donald gives him a high five, saying, "You rock."

"Thanks Uncle Don." Chase gives his mom a hug.

Donald continues, "For a kid that was about to quit, that was something to see."

"Yeah, but I picked a foul too early and I was too slow getting back on "D." Chase spoke.

"You were great." Karen congratulates him, squeezing his arm a little.

"Thanks guys." Chase says and he starts to walk away. "See you soon?"

"Not too late." He hears Karen shout followed by a, "You did well, Chase." from Uncle Donald.

"You did pretty well too." Donald says, putting his arm around Karen as they start to walk away. Suddenly, a woman, possibly middle aged with blonde hair, walks up to her.

"Karen? Hi! Donald, hi." She greets them. "I guess congratulations are in order."

"Thank you, Shari."

"Um, I don't want to keep you. I just wanted to let you know that as the mother of a varsity player, you're eligible to join boosters. Not that you need to. It's not required or anything and I know you're really busy with that little Café of yours."

"Right." Karen had a hint of doubt in her voice. "When do you meet?"

"Um, well, it varies...usually Wednesdays."

"At?"

"Uh, 6:00-ish." She says as Karen nods. "So, it's really good to see you. Go Dingos." Donald hisses as she walks away and Karen knits her eyebrows, almost letting out a subtle laugh.

Douglas is sitting alone on the bench when Beck walks up to him. With a disappointing nod, Douglas starts to stand up. "I thought this was _your _team." He walks away and Beck rolls his eyes, looking after Douglas

* * *

**{Chase/Jade}**

Chase steps into the car and puts his bag down. Jade pops up from the back seat, in a leopard bra. "Hey, you."

"Oh," Chase jumps a little. "I think you got the wrong car."

"Nah. Don't mind me. I just have to get out of this uniform." Jade responds. "So, uh, anyway, I'm Jade, but you probably knew that. Can I tell you that that last shot was awesome? How'd you feel? Good, huh? You know it did." Jade slips her bra onto Chase's shoulder. He looks very uncomfortable. Jade suddenly jumps down, gasping. Coach knocks on the window and Chase slips the bra off his shoulder as he opens the window.

"That game wasn't horrible."

"Thanks, coach." Chase says.

"Well, don't turn pro yet. You drag your scrawny butt to the weight room twice a day starting now."

"You got it." He responds.

"Oh, uh..." Coach Whitey is about to walk away, but stops to say something. "By the way, there's a half-naked girl in the back seat of your car. I just thought you'd like to know." Whitey tips his hat and walks off. Jade comes back up.

"Grouchy." Jade says while Chase laughs. "So anyway...you're in it now, aren't you? When the last shot went through, did you feel it change?"

"Feel what change?" Chase asked.

"Everything. I mean, how many moments in life can you point to and say, "That's when it all changed?" You just had one, but don't worry, baby." Jade leans on his shoulder and whispers, "The popularity thing is not so bad."

* * *

**{Cat/Beck}**

Cat and Beck are sitting on her bed. She is trying to get him to kiss her, but he looks upset. "Unbelievable." Beck starts to talk about Chase. "The guy scores 12 measly points and they act like he's Iverson. You know many games I've scored more than that in? All but two and one of them, I had mono."

"Well, you don't have mono now, do you?" Cat kisses his ear. "Care to prove it?"

"My dad's gonna hammer me." Beck looks around and notices something. "Something's changed."

Cat backs off, "With your dad?"

"No, with your room. Something's different."

"It's my walls." Cat responds. "I took my sketches down."

"What sketches?"

* * *

**{Bree/Beck}**

Bree is sitting on a stool by the counter, looking at her watch. She gets up and switches the Open sign on the door of Karen's Café to a Close sign and walks back to the counter. Chase walks in and Bree turns around, wondering the results of the game. Chase's solemn expression quickly changes to a smile. "12 points, 8 assists, and I made the game winning shot."

"Good!" Bree jumps on Chase and they hug for a moment. She laughs and continues. "That is great, right?"

"Yeah, it's all right."

"Ugh, I can't believe I had to work!" Bree shouts. "Tell me about it."

"Actually, the beginning wasn't so great. I ran into you-know-who."

"Douglas? Oh, I'm sorry." She apologizes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Actually, I was thinking about check out the burning boat."

"Ooh."

"You want to come?" Chase asks.

Bree, teasing him, says, "Well, I suppose I could be seen with you." She walks over to the counter's phone, followed by Chase who leans on the counter. "Let me just call home and tell them not to wait up." She dials the number and Bree's mom answers. "Hey, mom, it's Bree. Bree James, your daughter." Bree makes a sign of drinking with her thumb and pinkie finger. "Listen, I'm gonna go out after work, and I'll be home. Okay? Alright, bye." She hangs up.

"Was your mom drinking?"

"No. I got the machine." She says sarcastically.

* * *

**{Karen/Donald} **

"You don't have to join the boosters." Karen mocks Shari as she and Donald sit in her car, eating. "And did you get that dig about my "little café"?" Karen asked.

"What do you care? It's not like you're going to join boosters, anyway." Donald asked.

Karen answers, "That's not the point and that thing about cheerleading? It's like they're still in high school. I mean, really, let it go."

"Well, that's good advice." Donald says. "Maybe you should take it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Karen asked.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, you still own your cheerleading sweater. All I'm saying is memory lane is a two way street."

"Yeah? So is "You don't know what the hell you're talking about" boulevard. This is not about high school for me, Donald. Trust me."

"Whatever you say."

* * *

**{Cat's Room}**

Music is blaring as Cat works on another sketch. The phone rings and the answering machine automatically picks up after two rings. "Hey, it's Cat. You know what to do." After that, she pressed the play button.

"Hey, this message is for Cat. It's Jeff Nelson calling from THUD magazine. Your friend dropped off your sketches and, he was right; they're terrific. Give me a call when you get a chance. We'd love to talk to you about, you know, maybe doing a comic strip for the magazine. Nice work, Cat. Nice work." After the voicemail, she presses the delete button.

"Message deleted." An electronic voice announces.

* * *

**{Burning Boat}**

_"Come on, come all, to the Los Angeles annual Burning Boat festival. Burn your bad karma, bad luck, or bad choices and start again. We'll be collecting items all week. Nothing is too big, too small, too tragic, or too trivial..." _Breeand Chase hear the announcer shout as they walk.

"Nice game, Chase." A random boy congratulates him as he walks past.

"You are just blowing up."

"Well, yeah, man. I'm a big star now." Chase teases. "You better hope I keep you around."

"You know, I'm gonna try not to lose sleep over that, thanks. So, last night, I'm watching Scandinavian week on the history channel, and I-"Bree says, but is interrupted by Chase.

"Why?"

"Well, because...blonde Viking guys are hot." She laughs. "Anyway, this whole burning boat thing is a total rip-off of a Viking funeral. Did you know that?"

"You know, you're the bomb?" A student named, Brandon, walks up and compliments Chase.

"Thanks."

"Check it out." Brandon hands Bree a paper.

She laughs, "B+! Brandon, all right! You did it!"

"Yeah, I just threw all my bad grades into the pot. I'm not going back there."

"I know you're not."

"I've had, I don't know how many tutors, and this girl is a miracle worker."

"No, this is all you, man." Bree hands back the paper. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Bree. See you." Brandon walks away and she cheers silently.

"Yes! I knew he could do it! Yes!"

"Nice work, Bree."

"Thank you. So, what bad mojo are you burning this year?" Bree asks. Chase pulls out a picture of Douglas and throws it into the boat.

"So, we're going to watch this together, right?"

"Maybe, I have to, uh, check my schedule. You know, the word around town is that I'm, um..." Bree clears her throat. "...the bomb. Oh!" Bree walks away.

"Wow." Chase laughs and follows her.

* * *

**{School - Next Day}**

Chase is looking for something in his locker and Bree is standing beside him when girl walks by. "Great day, Chase." The girl congratulates him. Bree laughs a little and starts to say something.

"Alright, I'm going to the tutoring center so I can feel superior." Chase laughs as Bree begins to walk away, but then stops and turns around.

"Oh, listen," Bree says. "They're playing "Attack of the 50-foot Woman" at the Crescent tomorrow. Do you want to go?"

"Yeah." Chase answers. "Count me in."

"Alright."

"I'll call you later."

"Bye!" When Bree is out of ear-shot, Cat walks up madly and slams his locker shut.

"Who do you think you are?!" Cat shouts.

Chase answers, "Someone you're pissed at."

"You submitted my sketches to THUD magazine."

"And they liked them," Chase asked. "Didn't they?"

"If I wanted your help, I would ask for it." She says as Jade walks up and greets Cat.

"Hey, girl." She starts to talk to Chase. "Hey, you didn't happen to find my, um..." Chase hands Jade her leopard bra. "Thank you, gorgeous." She walks away. Cat follows her after shaking her head at Chase.

"You're welcome!" Chase shouts. Cat catches up with Jade outside and they continue walking.

"What you got there?" Cat asks.

"What?"

"You know what! The Jade West leopard bra...dude, that thing's like a welcome mat. Anyway, I heard you were naked in his car."

"No. I was partially naked. At one point, I had mittens on because it was cold. Oh, did you see my..." Jade is interrupted by Cat.

"Okay, focus. You're a slut in mittens, you're in his car. Then what happens?"

"Well, then nothing. He was really sweet. He drove me home, said "Good night," waited until I got inside."

"Maybe he's gay."

"No, I think he's just nice. Anyway, it's gonna be so great when he sleeps with me." She says and Cat laughs.

* * *

**{Locker Room}**

Chase is showering when someone grabs his towel and he turns off the water. He turns around and finds no towel. He goes to his locker and finds it open with all of his stuff gone. Chase walks out of the locker room with two basketballs covering him. Coach Whitey walks past, looking at some papers attached to a clip board.

"I was just getting used to low-waist jeans." Whitey says and notices that Chase isn't following him. He turns and looks at Chase. "Let's go, ball boy." Chase shakes his head with an expression on his face that says, "Why me?"

* * *

**{Automobile Repair Shop}**

Donald and Chase are fixing the bottom of a car. "How's things been since the game?" Donald asks. Chase chuckles a little and sighs before responding.

"Different. People I've never talk to say "Hello" to me like they've always known me. The teachers smile more and cheerleaders strip in your car."

"That' sounds like it, but not really.

"No?"

"No, the team's hazing me a little bit." He responds.

"Well, believe it or not, I wouldn't take it too personally. See, we, uh, we did that when I played. Unless it gets completely out of hand, just roll with it. Show them what you're made of."

**{School Gym}**

The team is practicing and Chase throws shot and gets it. Someone passes the ball back to him. "Beck!" Whitey calls him over. Beck walks over to him.

"I'm tinkering with the offense. You'll be playing smaller forward."

"Forget it," Bedk responds. "I'm the shooting guard."

"That's funny. I thought I was the coach. As a matter of fact, you can call me that and I'll call you small forward. Beck Davenport, small forward. Has a nice ring to it." Beck is upset and he looks over to Chase who gets another shot in.

**{Scott's House}**

Douglas is sitting on the couch when Beck walks in and stops at the door. "I hear Whitey gave your spot to Chase. Do you even care it's slipping away?" He sighs. "All the work we've put into it, all the plans we've made."

"All the plans you've made." Beck walks towards him. "All the work I've done."

"Fine, quit the time. Hell, quit school for that matter. I'll tell you what; I'll give you a job working at the dealership. You can spend the rest of your life haggling over free floor mats with morons with bad credit. How does that sound? That's where you're headed, and that's if I give you the job!" Douglas sighs. "I just want more for you, Beck. More than a 9-5 and the feeling you could've had a better life. I want you to be happy. I do, but you need to tell me if you still want to do this. Do you?" He asks, walking towards a nodding Beck. "Okay, but happiness doesn't come cheap. Hell, if it did, we'd all be smiling."

**{Beck's Kitchen - Day}**

"Whitey's using you to get back at me, and I apologize, Beck, because it's not your fault."

"What do you want me to do, dad?" Beck asks. "It's his team."

"No, it's not. He didn't understand when I was playing for him. He doesn't get it now. This is your team, not him. What position do you want to play?"

"I think I'm stronger at shooting guard."

"I agree. So, if this new kid's taken your position, he's no longer your teammate, is he? He's your opponent. And how do we defeat an opponent? Identify his weaknesses and attack them.

**{Locker room}**

"Look, you guys are the ones I feel sorry for me. Me? I'm going to my minutes." Beck is talking to the whole team, excluding Chase. "But you guys have been busting your tails since the junior leagues. Now you finally get your shot and Whitey gives the starting spot to this guy? It's not right. If you ask me, he shouldn't even be on the team."

"So then, what are we going to do?" Tim asks.

"We're going to make him earn it. We're gonna at least make him suffer like we did." Chase walks in, heads over to his locker and finds it unlocked. He opens it up and his clothes are dripping wet. The guys laugh at him and exit the locker room.

"It's only going to get worse, man." He says before following the guys. Robbie stays behind and opens up his locker.

"So, the hazing begins...right on schedule." Robbie sniffs. "Can you smell the desperation?" He hands Chase a dry uniform. "We all went through it; just hang in there."

**{School Gym}**

"So," Tim starts. "What happens if we haze this guy and he doesn't go away?"

"He will with what I've got planned."

"But, what if he doesn't?"

"If he doesn't, I got a backup plan."

**{Tutoring Center}**

Bree is looking through some files when Beck walks in. He greets her, "Hey."

"Can I help you?"

"I hope so; you're my tutor." He speaks.

"Right," She says sarcastically. "I don't think so."

"You're Bree James, right?" She looks over his blue sheet of paper and hands it back to him.

"I'm sorry. I'm best friends with Chase."

"Well, then I'm sorry, too."

"Forget it." She responds. "I'll find you someone else."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, look, there is nobody else. I'd be find with it if there was."

"If there were." She corrects him.

"See? You're helping me already."

"Look, I can't help you and on top of that, I won't help you. Okay?" She walks out of the room.

**{Thud Magazine}**

Jeff Nelson is sitting behind his desk, skimming through Cat's sketches while she anxiously awaits his response. "Interesting." He comments. "Where have you studied?"

"I've studied mostly in my bedroom."

"Huh."

"Is that a bad thing?" Cat asks.

"No, just surprising for someone with your talent. Well, your stuff is great. I do have a few concerns, though. You're younger than I expected, and we have firm deadlines to make a press run."

"Give me a deadline, I'll meet it.

"Alright, then how about a test strip? Uh, use your high school characters, but, give them a twist."

"Give them a twist?"

"With the way your portray high school, the girls are so tragic. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but the magazine wants wish fulfillment. You know, pretty, popular, like a..."

"Like a cheerleader?" Cat finishes, asking.

"That's perfect!" He almost yells. "Cheerleaders are always happy."

**{Classroom}**

"Identity - this was a common theme in the work of E. E. Cummings. While it's true, he was most known as a..." The teacher's voice drifts off into the background, indistinct. Jade is playing with a cootie-catcher. She whispers to Chase, who is sitting right beside her.

"Chase, what's your favorite color?"

"Black."

"B-L-A-C-K." Jade spells

"When Cummings died in 1962, he was enormously popular, especially with young readers."

"What's your favorite number?" Chase holds up three fingers and Jade counts three on the catcher. "Okay, what's your favorite sexual position?" He gives her a confused and uncomfortable look. "I'll use mine." She counts the letters on the catcher and opens it up. "So, you like me."

The teacher takes the catcher as he continues. "...mostly because he dealt with sex and war. Okay, folks, listen up, I want everyone to bring in something by Cummings; poem, essay, whatever to the next class. Okay, thank you for your work."

Beck gets his paper back with a big, circled F.

**{Tutoring Center}**

Bree is putting away her books. She grabs her side-bag and heads to the door, but Beck walks in. He sighs. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna be fine."

"Good." She answers.

"I mean," He holds up his paper. "F is for fine, right?" He walks out the door and Bree stands there with a disappointed look on her face.

**{Massage Clinic}**

Jade is getting a wax while Cat is beside her on a chair, reading a magazine. Jade says, "You know she'll never go for it."

"So, how's your Chase quest going?" Cat asks, looking up from the magazine.

"Fine. Ow!" She grunts, feeling a little pain. "Hand." She reaches for Cat's hand and she meets her there.

"Let me ask you something. Why are you being so persistent with this one? You normally would have moved on by now."

"Why? Are you jealous?"

"No."

"Do you like him?"

"No. See, there's this guy named Beck, who's also called my boyfriend."

"Yeah - OW - ooh. Well, maybe I want a boyfriend, too. Someone reliable for once, steadies without all the drama, anger, and pettiness you and Beck have." Jade laughs. Cat pulls off a wax strip and Jade screams. "Ow!" She looks at her as they both laugh.

**{Karen's Café}**

It's just a regular day in the café when Donald walks up to the counter. "Isn't Bree working today?"

"She's making a delivery." Karen informs him.

"Doesn't that girl ever go home?"

Karen laughs, "Bree comes from a big family. When Chase met her, I think they were eight or nine. But she saw it was just me and Chase, and she said "Yeah, I come from a big family. I think you guys need me more." Did he tell you about his troubles with the team?"

"Yeah, I told him not to take it so personally."

"Speaking of taking things personally, I was thinking about my brush with Shari and the boosters." Karen brings up the other mothers to the boys on the team. "I think I may have overreacted."

"I think I know you can find out." Donald said, smiling deviously a little.

**{Booster Meeting}**

Shari is talking to the booster members when Karen walks in. All heads turn to her. "Okay, the last item on the agenda is fundraising. So, we will have our booth at Burning Boat and..." Shari notices her. "Karen, hi."

"You start at six, right?" Karen asks, suspicious.

"No, we start at five sharp." Shari says, with Karen realizing what she had done. "You must have misunderstood me."

"Sure." Karen responded, sarcastically.

Everybody, this is Karen, Chase Davenport's mother."

"Oh, so," A woman speaks up. "So you're Douglas' ex?"

"Actually, we were never married."

"Oh."

Karen clears her throat. "I just thought I'd come down here and introduce myself to all of you and say "Hello."

"Is Chase on the team for good?" Another woman asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, it just seems strange that a new boy on the squad becomes a starter ahead of boys who have been Dingos for years."

"Um, now then, as I was saying I think that Burning Boat..."

"It's because he's good." Karen interrupts, angry. "Coach Whitey thinks he deserves to, and maybe you want to tell your sons that so next time they steal his wallet, or ruin his clothes, or whatever else they have planned for him."

"Excuse me?"

"He's a kid who's doing his best."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Shari shouts. "You walk in here -late, I might add- and start making accusations about our boys? Our boys are the good ones."

"Exactly what does that mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

"You know, Shari, I came down here wanting to give you the benefit of the doubt, but clearly you're still the same petty little bitch you were in high school." She walks out.

**{River-court}**

Chase pulls up in his car, gets out and sees that the court is trashed. Garbage is littered everywhere and the next is ruined along with the words "You Suck!" written on it. Chase is clearly pissed off. He gets up on a ladder, trying to scrub the words off the backboard when Cat drives up and gets out of her car.

"Hey." She greets, getting out of the car and walking to him. "I heard about this. I hoped it wasn't true."

Chase asks, "What do you want, Cat?"

"I just want to tell you that I'm not doing the comic strip."

"That's a mistake."

"Yeah, well maybe some people aren't ready to expose themselves to the world like you and your basketball."

"Maybe you are ready, but you're just scared." He says, climbing down the ladder. "Well, did you at least meet with them?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I mean, the editor loved my stuff. He just wanted me to change it into something totally different. It's really not that big of a deal. Guess I just...I just want to say thanks."

"Wow. Did Cat Valentine just say "thank you"?"

"Look, if Beck did this, I'm sorry."

"Why do you stay with him, anyway?"

While she walks to her car, she says, "Because sometimes it's good and sometimes there's no one else."

"Hey, Cat, that editor is wrong." She turns to him and smiles before continuing to walk over to her car.

**{Karen's Café}**

The cell phone rings and Bree picks it up. She speaks into the phone, "This is Karen's Café."

"I'm calling for Bree James."

"Hey, it's Beck Oliver. Um, I really need your help."

"I'm sorry, this isn't her." Bree hangs up and Karen approaches her.

"What was that?"

"Uh, wrong number."

"You just said this was her. What, did you forget your own name?" As Karen continues, Bree laughs. "What's up?"

"This guy wants me to tutor him, and I said "No" because he's kind of a bad guy."

"Do you know him?"

"Not really; I just know _of _him." Bree spoke.

"Is he dangerous?"

"No." Bree looks back at Karen and sees that she has this kind of look in her eye. "What? You've got that look."

"What look?"

"You've got the look that my mom always gets when she wants to throw her cents in. What?"

"Well, Bree, I think you have pretty good instincts so I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but just play devil's advocate, if this boy came for tutoring, maybe his trying to change." As she continues, Bree sighs. "There might be something in there worth saving."

Karen puts two penny's onto the table and walks into the back room while Bree's thinking about what she should do.

* * *

Chase is sitting in the car at the automobile shop as Donald fixes it with the top up. Donald starts to speak after Chase finishes telling him about the team, "Well, Chase, I owe you an apology."

"Apology for what?"

"I told you not to take things personally, but they're making it personal. Alright, let's give her a try." Chase turns the key and the engine sputters along with a knock on the door.

"Sorry, we're closed." Donald shouted towards the door. Robbie walks into the room and over to the car just as Chase steps out of it.

"Hi, I'm Robbie."

"Oh. Hi, Robbie. I'm Donald."

"How are you doing?" Robbie asked.

"I got some paper work to do." Donald starts to walk away. "I'll see you."

"I heard about the court." Robbie started talking to Chase

"You heard about it or you were there?" Chase starts to turn his attention to something else and Robbie continues.

"Hey, I don't buy into that mob rule nonsense, alright. I play defense and live my life. That's it."

"Yeah, what about the rest of the team?"

"Look, Chase, the guys on the team...they're in a tough spot because of the suspension. Most of these guys are younger and they're not going to stand up to Beck. It's not right, but that's the way it is.

"Yeah, well, the way it is doesn't work for me, and it doesn't work for my friends."

"Yeah, I know, but that's...that's kind of why I came here. This thing could get really messy if someone doesn't take the high road. And, I know this is not my place to ask, but I was just hoping that you could rise above it."

"I don't think I can do that." Chase responds, looking at Robbie.

"Okay. Just know that if you do, team's gonna come around. They're gonna see that you're a good guy and a hell of a player."

"What if I can't?" Chase asked.

"Well, then I got you back."

* * *

Later at night, Bree and Chase are walking side-by-side at the docks. "They trashed the court?" Bree asked with disbelief and shock.

"Yep."

"What else did they do?" Chase sighs, "They broke into my locker and soaked my stuff. I don't know, Bree, I don't know how much longer I can put up with this."

"Do you think they're gonna let up anytime soon?" She asked.

"No chance." Chase laughed. "And you wanna know why?"

"Why?"

"Beck controls the team and there's no way in hell he is gonna back off." He notices she has her thinking face on. "What are you think about?" They stop and face each other.

"This weird thing happened at the tutoring center. Never mind, it's not important."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, um, are we still going to the movie tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, it sounds like fun."

"Okay, cool. Chase, how far do you think he's really gonna go. Beck?"

"I don't know." Chase sighs. "As far as he wants to go until somebody stops him.

* * *

Cat is standing in the school hallway the next day. She grabs a sketch of hers that somebody left sticking out of her locker. It's the "They are Not You" poster. Cat looks around to see if the person is still there, but no such luck.

* * *

Bree is working on her studies when she looks back at Beck and again at her desk, thinking hard.

* * *

Chase is sweeping up the garbage at the river court. He takes a piece of cardboard and carries all the garbage can.

* * *

Beck overlooks Chase at the school gym with jealousy as he gets yet another shot in the net and Whitey congratulates him.

* * *

Bree paces outside the movie theater, checking her watch. She paces out of sight of the alley where Chase is walking up the street to the theater. A van pulls up behind him and two teammates run up behind Chase as he turns toward the van. They grab him, force him into the van and drive on. Beck drives up the van up to a stream and two guys force Chase out of the car, pulling a bag off his head in the meantime.

Chase struggles to get free, but they push him into the stream. Beck walks up as Chase stands, very angry and frees his hands.

"Well, well." Beck snickers. "The gang's all here. I told you it was gonna get worse. Now, see, normally this is when you become part of the team. We'd have a keg, tell some war stories...but you had to know that wasn't going to happen, right? Look, these guys made a choice to back me, but we're going to be nice and we're going to let you walk away. Just quit the team, man. Otherwise, it's going to get ugly." He turns to the team. "Let's get out of here."

"Bye, Chase." Tim mocks. The guys all go back into the van and drive off, leaving a very angry Chase standing there.

* * *

Chase gets back to his house and walks down the hall to his room where Karen is sitting. She looks up at him to see that Chase looks _terrible. _Karen asks, "Hey, where you been?"

"Nowhere."

"What happened to you?"

"I had a little run-in with the team."

"Chase, I'm sorry this is so hard for you. I wish there was a way that I could help, but I don't think there is."

"There's not."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I called some woman a bitch the other day." Chase laughs. "I'm proud of you, you know that? Sometimes I wonder where you get all your strength."

"I get that from you." Chase responds.

"Oh, I don't know about that." Karen says. "I haven't been on my best behavior lately."

"Well, they don't make it easy, do they?"

"No, they don't. That doesn't mean we have to sink to their level."

"Take the high road, huh?" Chase responds. "Yeah, that sounds familiar. But, mom, I tried that and I want to make you proud I do. But there comes a certain point when you have to fight back and I'm at that point."

* * *

The team is in the middle of a practice game and there is indistinct talking. Chase keeps shouting, "Ball! Ball! Over here! Ball!" Tim won't pass Chase the ball, so he runs up and takes it from him and makes the shot. Tim slams him, so Chase slams back.

"What the hell was that?" Tim shouts, going towards Chase just as Coach Whitey blows the whistle. Robbie keeps them apart as Coach Whitey approaches.

"Here, second team!"

"But he stole the ball from his own team!" Tim exclaimed.

"Don't no buts!" Coach Whitey shouts at him. "That guy has hit seven in a row and you won't pass him to ball." He tells Chase, "And you! This is a team game. If you guys don't get your heads out of your butts, I might be forced to suspend my second team this season. Go home!" Whitey walks away.

Robbie walks over to Chase and says, "So much for the high road, huh?" Chase laughs.

* * *

Chase walks up the school steps to Bree who is finishing her homework. She puts it down and stands up. He greets her with a smile, "Hey!"

"Hey."

"I tried to call you about last night..."

Bree interrupts him. "No, it's okay. You're mom told me what happened. Are you alright? I was really worried about you."

"Yeah, I know and I'm sorry."

"Chase, I just want things to get better for you."

"Trust me, so do I."

"They're not going to stop, are they?" Chase asked.

"Well, not without a fight?" Bree is about to cry when Chase hugs her. "Hey, hey, hey, I'll find a way to get past this. Don't worry about it." They hug for a moment and then Bree pulls away and grabs her books.

"You know what? Um, I need to do something. I will see you tomorrow for Burning Boat, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay." Chase begins walking down the steps but turns around. "Uh, sorry. I'm sorry too."

"What for?"

"I'll see you tomorrow." She responds and turns and walks away.

* * *

After a lot of thinking, Bree walks up to the start of the pathway of Beck's house, sighs, and walks up to the door to knock. Beck answers.

"Hey." Beck greets her.

"Hey. I looked over your English exam, and if you really want to learn, I can help you."

"That's great, alright."

"I just..." Bree pauses. "I have two conditions. One, Chase does not find out, okay?"

"Aright, fine."

"And number two, you leave him alone."

"Well, I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" He asks.

"Okay, um...meet me tomorrow, 7a.m. at the market street dock."

"Well, what about the tutoring center?"

"No way, the dock, take it or leave it."

"Okay. 7:00 then."

"Okay." Bree starts to walk away as Beck smiles and closes the door.

* * *

Bree is already at the Market Street Dock and already has her books out, studying, when Beck walks up.

"I got breakfast of champions. Want some?"

"You're late." Bree comments.

Beck sighs and takes off his back pack, sits down and opens up a Cracker Jack box, taking out a small package. "Ugh, please let this be a cheat sheet." He takes a tacky bracelet out of the package.

"It's for you."

"Stop it." She orders him.

"Come on." He responds as she sighs. He puts the bracelet on her. "Don't say I never gave you anything."

"Do you see this book?" She shows the book. "This book is me. I am math."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's supposed to mean that you can work your whole "I'm Beck Davenport, Mr. Big shot, scoring my touchdowns" on somebody else, because I don't..."

Beck interrupts her, "I don't even play football."

"Whatever. Look, the point is at the end of the day, all your bluster and bull crap doesn't mean anything to math because math doesn't care, and neither do I."

"Well, does English care, because I really suck at that, too?"

"Please don't waste my time. I am already taking a huge chance on you because my instincts are screaming that you're full of cr..." Bree is cut off by Beck sighing. "Let's just get started, okay?" She hands him the book. "Turn to page 81.

* * *

Cat is at Thud Magazine Studios and slides an overhead print of her comic strip onto the table and Jeff Nelson looks up at her. "Hey." He greets her and Cat gives big speech about who she is.

"This is who I am. This is how I am. And 95% of the time there isn't a moral, or a victory, or a silver lining. Take it or leave it."

"And if we leave it?"

"If you leave it then you'll miss that other 5%. It's your mistake." Cat walks away.

* * *

It's nighttime and everyone is at the Burning Boat festival. Whitey is addressing the crowd into the microphone he speaks, "Good evening. Usually the master of ceremonies at this deal is Red Legner. But, uh, well...Red died, so what are you gonna do? Now, every year we have a Burning Boat, and every year people find things to toss into it. I guess if everything was perfect, we wouldn't be human." His voice becomes indistinct. Karen and Chase walk up to the boat and Karen tosses her old cheerleading uniform into the fire.

"Well, time to let the past go." Laughter is heard as Shari and two other booster members walk up. "Shari!" Karen shouts.

"Karen."

"I, uh, just wanted to introduce you to my son, Chase. Chase, this is Shari, Tim's mother."

Shari corrects her, "Stepmother." They shake hands.

"Nice to meet you." Chase says before turning to Karen. "I'm gonna take off, okay?"

"Okay. You be careful."

"I will." Chase says, walking away. Karen clears her throat as she turns to face the 3 booster moms.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said before. Let's face it; it's been a long time. We don't really know each other anymore. But I want to give you the benefit of the doubt so that next time we meet; at least I'll be dealing with the person you've become and I hope you'll do the same."

As Whitey continues the crowd cheers and applauds as a torch lights up the boat. "I guess, uh, it is not every day that we get a shot at starting over and putting our feet on the right path. That said, I guess we better get to the rat killing."

"Say "good bye" to cheerleading, mom." Chase says silently to himself as he stands, looking up to the stage when Jade walks up next to him.

"So, are you my date tonight, Chase?" She asked.

"You know, Jade, you don't have to act like this."

"I know that. But you're the first guy to ever say it. You do your thing and, um, try to resist. It's actually kind of cute." Jade walks away. Chase grabs his backpack and walks up to the steps, facing Beck. He throws a green spray paint bottle at him.

"You left that at the court." Chase tells him knowingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well, then call it a gift. Besides, you're gonna need it to paint over your scoring title in the gym, because I'm taking it."

Tim says, "Yeah, in your dreams."

"I don't care what you do to me. Whatever you got, you better bring it, because I'm not going anywhere." He hands Beck the bag and rope that was used against him at the stream. "Burn these for me will you?" He asks before walking away. He walks up to the picnic table where Bree is sitting alone, looking over the river at the Burning Boat when Chase walks up and sits next to her.

"Hey." He greets her.

"Hey."

"Nice bracelet." He looks at her arm and sees the tacky bracelet. "Where were you this morning?"

"Uh, I was just tutoring."

"Oh, yeah?" He asks. "Anyone I know?"

Bree hesitates and smiles, "No." The two look over at the Burning Boat where all the mistakes crumble to ashes with the past.


	4. Crash Into You

_Chapter 4 - Crash Into You_

Chase is taking a shower and puts shampoo his hair. Before he can even rinse it, the water turns off suddenly. He looks around awkwardly before grabbing his towel and wrapping it around his waist.

"Mom!" He shouts, opening the door and walking into the hall. Karen is working at the table and Chase walks into the room, wearing a robe and towel around his neck, shampoo still in his hair. "Mom, did you forget to pay the water bill?"

"No, of course I paid the water bill." She sees Chase and walks over to the sink and tries the water there. It doesn't work. "See? This is what we need the emergency Visa for. Something must've broken. I'll take care of it. Come on, let's get you rinsed."

Chase leans over the sink and Karen pours a water jug over his head. She suddenly laughs.

"How is this funny, mom?" He asks.

"How is this not funny?"

* * *

Douglas and Beck walk into the kitchen to find a woman preparing a salad. "Hey. Check it out. It's called dinner." The woman says, looking at them.

"Who is that lady?" Douglas asks. "Is that my wife?" Beck looks pleasantly surprised.

"I didn't think you were getting back until Monday." Douglas says.

"I wasn't until I sweet talked Ziodex into doubling their 'Gift to AIDS' research. It took me all of one meeting."

"Wow. I'm impressed." Douglas tells Deb, the woman. "You sure don't want to quit saving the world and come sell cars with me?" "Mmm, thanks, but I like the Frequent Flyer miles." Deb walks over to Beck and gives him a hug. "How's my boy?"

"I have warm-ups, mom."

"Oh, come on, sit. Dinner's almost ready and I haven't seen you for weeks."

"I can't. I got to go. Don't wait up." Beck is about to walk out, but Douglas stops him.

"Beck, remember what I told you; he can't shoot if he doesn't have the ball."

* * *

The Dingos are all gathered around Whitey and the cheerleaders are chanting. "Dang it, this is a team, not a Chinese fire , you're plain selfish. Get out there and pretend you know each other."

Jade and Cat are supposed to be cheering off to the side, but instead, they're talking. "Hey, can I catch a ride with you to Beck's party later?"

"I didn't think you were going." Cat states. "I figured you'd be hiding in Chase's back seat again."

"Jealous."

"No."

"What? I could see it. You're so broody. You could brood together." Jade teases, getting a push from Cat and catching her balance. Later, the game is going on and as they play, the announcer's announcing.

"Now the Dingos in bound with the ball and it looks like they're trying to isolate Beck Davenport on the baseline. The Masen Berg defense tightens on him. Beck battles through, still working hard to get open down there. Now Tim Smith works his way over on the wing. He's dribbling, looking for Beck underneath, but he's not there. And now...oh! Oh! A cross court pass putting Chase Davenport over the basket." Karen is in the audience. She's grinning. Douglas, on the other hand, is not.

"So much for the putty grip on that one as the Dingos fall back on the bench." The announcer speaks into the microphone as Tim passes the ball to Chase.

Screaming at Tim, Beck shouts, "What was that?"

"And I tell you what; Chase Davenport is really starting to gel with this team." After the game is over and most of the people have already filtered out, Beck and Tim are walking across the gym and Beck's angry.

"He had a better angle. I'm sorry. Beck, come on, man. I'm just trying to win." Over on the other side, Karen is standing with Chase.

"So are you excited?" Karen asked.

"What? That we won?"

"No, because there's running water in the locker room and we're gonna be roughing it until tomorrow." Chase laughs.

"It's okay." He responds. Back with Beck, he walks up to Douglas.

"What's up, dad?" Beck asked, walking up to Douglas who just looks at him then walks away. Deb walks up to Beck.

"Nice game, sweetie." She congratulates as Beck looks toward the direction in which Douglas walked away.

"Try telling that to dad." He responded. As Beck walks over to Chase, he hears a woman say to her son "I'm proud of you. I'll see you later."

"That's two decent games in a row." Beck strikes up a conversation. "Are you getting better or just lucky?" He pauses. "The team's got a party tonight. It's at my parent's beach out house."

"Why are you telling me that?"

"Because I said the team, didn't i?" He asked. "Look, it's kind of the off season so might as well deal with it."

* * *

Chase is driving the Body Shop truck and Bree's sitting in the passenger seat. The two are talking about Beck's invitation to the party.

"So, the guys kidnapped you, trashed your court, and threatened you with bodily harm. Party, yeah, sure, why not?" Bree's voice is seeping with confusion and anger.

"Okay, listen, I know it's all a set-up, alright, but I'm not gonna let him screw with me. Whatever he dishes out, he's going to get back double."

"Do you think maybe -I mean, just maybe- he's had a change of heart?" Bree asked.

"Hmm...That requires a heart."

* * *

Cat pulls to a stop in front of Beck's parent's beacon house and Jade is in the passenger seat.

"Every time I ride with you, I swear I'm never going to do it again." Jade states as she follows Cat who gets out of the car."Keys?" She asked.

Cat responds, "Tempt fate." As she finishes, Tim walks up to them.

"Cat, you've got to talk to him. Chase had the better shot. You saw it, right?"

"Tim?" Jade asked. "Are you being pathetic?" Tim rolls his eyes and turns around just as Chase's truck pulls to a stop.

"What's he doing here?" Tim asked as Beck walks over.

"I invited him." He responded. "I mean, since you guys are such great friends now."

"What are you trying to pull?" Cat asked Beck, curious as her boyfriend's intentions.

"Nothing..." He responds as everyone watches Chase and Breeget out of the truck and walk over. "I wasn't sure you'd come."Beck tells Chase.

"That makes two of us."

"Hi, I'm Beck Davenport." He holds out his hand in front of Bree and she shakes it.

"Um, yeah, I know, I'm Bree."

He walks inside with Chase and Bree, passing Cat on the way. She looks suspicious. Beck, Cat, Jade, and Tim walk into a room. Chase is looking around with Bree whistling.

"Tonight's gonna be great." Jade comments.

"Well, I bet their plumbing works." Bree whispers to Chase, making him laugh.

"I'm just saying..."

"Alright, thanks." Chase answered.

"Yeah." She answers. Jade walks up to Tim, Cat, and Beck, and another guy and girl who are standing elsewhere in the room and she's holding a newspaper.

Jade asks, "Have you guys seen this?"

"Uh-uh." The girl responds.

"The High School Fear-leader; it's a comic strip." Jade pauses."Wait, this is insulting, right?"

The guy responds, "My dog can draw better than this."

"Really, what guy keeps his hat on during sex?" Just as Jadeasks that, Beck looks at Cat. "Who is this sock-y person anyway?"

"Yeah, I wonder." Beck responded, still looking at Cat, who suddenly responds bluntly.

"It's just a stupid comic strip. Who cares, right?"

"It's more like sucky. Whoever it is doesn't know the first thing about it. It's like so..."

"Shallow?" Chase asked, looking at Cat who was looking at him back.

Walking away, Cat asks, "Where's the keg?"

* * *

Douglas passes Beck's door, noticing Deb is in there. He stops and steps into the room. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Deb turns away, not leaning on the desk anymore, to face him. "He used to ask before he put stuff him. Now, I don't even know what he's interested in besides basketball."

"Basketball. Yeah, it seems like it changes from day to day."

"Mmmm." She pauses. "He talks to you, Doug. How's he been doing?"

"Well, he's holding up considering Whitey's moved him out of his position, but's probably temporary."

"I asked you how he is, not how he's playing. It must be confusing for him with Chase on the team now." Deb pauses. "Were we going to talk about that?"

"I think that's probably temporary too."

"You think or you wish?" Deb asked. "Um, I saw Karen at the game tonight, but then I've never really spoken to her."

"I know this is hard on you, Deb."

"No, not really. I think it's harder for you and Beck."

* * *

Bree and Chase are walking down the hall of the beach house. Suddenly, Bree asked, "So, I know you're like, having the time of your life, but can we please make like a tree and get out of here?"

"We just got here."

""Whatever; You let me know when you've proved your point. I'm going to go to one of the eighteen bathrooms in this place."

"Gonna be back in five?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." Chase responded as Bree walked away. Chase walks into the dining room where Jade, Beck, Cat and a few other playing a game.

"Chase." Jade calls him over. "Come play."

"What's the game?" Chase asked.

"It's called I Never."

"And yet apparently you have." A guy named Vegas commented.

"Shut up, Vegas."

"Alright, so the game is, we all take turns saying things that we've never done and anybody at the table who has...drinks." Beck holds out a silver cup and nods. Chase takes the cup from Beck and takes a sip.

"Alright, Theresa, you're up." Beck tells her.

"Okay, let's see. I've never...had sex with anything made out of plastic." Jade takes a sip and everyone laughs.

Jade says, "Okay, my turn. I've never..." She paused. "No, I did that, um..." She laughs.

"Alright," Beck cut her off. "My turn...Oh, let's see. Um...I've never...I've never had a dad who wished I was a stain on the bed sheets." He snaps. People laugh, somewhat uncomfortably. Cat looks at Chase. Chase glares at Beck, then walks over to places his cup in front of him.

"Then you're welcome to mine." Chase snapped at him, then walked away. Beck laughs as Jade and Cat look after Chase, worried.

* * *

Cat walks to a bathroom door to open it. She knocks on the door only to hear Bree on the other side. "Hang on a minute." Cat lets go and a toilet flushes. Bree comes out. "Sorry." She starts to walk by Cat.

"How's the tutoring going?" Cat asks, stopping Bree in her tracks. "You're tutoring Beck, right?" Cat paused. "It's okay. He tells me everything."

"Yeah, you know, he um...said he needed some help."

"Maybe you could teach him to stop being such a jackass."

"I will...put that on my lesson plan."

"Just be careful, okay."

"Yeah...sure." Bree starts to walk away.

"Does Chase know you're helping Beck?" When Bree doesn't answer, Cat continues. "You know, you say a lot when you keep your mouth shut."

"I'm...okay."

"I keep mine shut too."

* * *

In a room full of trophies, Bree picks up a picture, and Chase knocks down another. She looks up at him and sees that he's angry. "What happened?" She asked.

"Oh, same old crap. You know, he thinks that if he keeps hammering me, I'll quit the team.

"What did he do this time?'

"He made some feeble comment. I'm not gonna let it get to me."

"Yeah, obviously that's working out for you." She remarks. Chase laughs. "Chase, have you guys ever actually talked?"

"Yeah, sure, we trade emails too." Chase says sarcastically, making a typing gesture with his hands while walking over to stand in front of her.

"I'm just saying you're so hypersensitive around each other, and I get it. I just think that maybe everything he says, you take the wrong way, nad vice versa."

"Okay, there is no misunderstanding what he said. And why are you defending him?"

"I'm just trying to bring some perspective. I mean...it's a really screwing situation and I'm sure having you around isnt any easier for him than it is for you and I think maybe if you guys could just talk..."

"Okay, tell me that I'm not hearing this." Chase interrupts her.

"Then what are you doing here, Chase? Obviously, you're looking for something, right?"

"I'm not going to let him win." Chase said.

"Fine. Don't let him win. I'm gonna go." Bree starts to leave.

"Bree!" He call after her.

"Nope." She responded, not even turning around. As Bree walks out of the room, sne runs into Beck.

"Are you leaving?" He asked, watching as Bree turned to face him.

"Beck...we had a deal. You promised you were gonna be nice."

"I am nice. I invited him to this stinking party, didnt I?"

"Well, what for? So you could pick on him in public?" She asked. "What did you say anyway?"

"Oh, man. Is that what...I made a lame joke. I mean, look, the guys...sometimes we kind of get raw with each other. I was just trying to include him. He took it the wrong way."

"Well, maybe you need to rethink your approach."

"Well, you're his friend. How do I handle this?"

"Well, you're his friend." Beck stated. "How do I handle this?"

"It's easy. Stop being such a..." She whispered, "Joke."

* * *

Chase walks outside on the porch of the beach house. He doesn't notice Cat sitting on a swinging chair as he leans against the rail. Breaking the silence, Cat comments, "He really slammed you."

"I don't care what he thinks." Chase responded, not even taking a glance at her.

"Neither do I."

Chase turns around to see her drinking. "Oh yeah? Then why are you drinking?" He asks as Cat takes another sip.

* * *

Beck walks by the door to the porch and sees Chase with Cat. Looking away, angry, he sees Tim at the video cabinet. Tim looks at him and shouts, "Beck! I can't believe your parents don't have any decent porn."

"Wait." He says, joining Tim at the video cabinet. "I've got something."

"What is it?"

"Its a comedy."

* * *

Chase is kneeling across from Cat, talking to her. "So, I'm confused. You want to be anonymous...and you let the world watch you on a web cam."

"The world isn't watching me...but I guess you are."

"Okay, the point is...you want to express yourself, but you don't want people to know its you."

"I guess I'm just a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch." Cat comments.

"Or maybe just a tortured artist."

"Look, I don't need you defending me and my work. I don't need you analyzing it or interpreting me either. And in fact, I'm pretty sure I don't need you at all. "

"Pretty sure?" He asks before freezing as he hears his mothers name inside. Inside, there's a video tape playing, showing Karen and Douglas as Prom King and Queen.

_"Mission Creek High's Snowball Court King and Queen, Douglas Davenport and Karen Roe. Karen, what's the secret to your success?"_ As the video plays, Chase and Cat walk in. Chase is clearly upset.

_"Um, the secret to our success. Hmm, I don't know. Good question. Doug?" _

"_Good sex!" Douglas shouts into the microphone, followed by the audience laughing. _

_"Karen, do you think you guys will get married?" _

_"But he really is the sweetest guy in the world. So I'm thinking, yes. Come visit us in ten years and I bet you can meet the kids and get a tour of our big house and see how happy we are." Karen answered. _

"Who's the girl?" Tim asked.

"That's my mom."

"At leas their dreams came true for one of them, right?" Beck asked, standing beside the TV with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, except for the happy part right?" Chase slams Beck against a wall as he walks by. Beck and his friends laugh, but Jade and Cat don't. Instead, they just glare at Beck, feeling bad for Chase.

* * *

Bree is sitting on the railing at the pier by the water when Beck comes up. "I thought you left." He strikes up a conversation.

"Yeah, uh, I tried to. If the stupid cab would ever get here."

"Well, I'm glad you stayed." Beck paused. "I want to thank you for holding back."

"What do you mean?"

"Jerk is pretty tame. You would've called me a lot worse. I probably deserved it."

"Look, I've been thinking a lot about this tutoring thing. I'm sorry. I don't...I just don't think it's good idea."

"Because of Chase?"

"Well, obviously, yeah. I don't know what I was thinking. There's no good that can possibly come of this."

"Really? I thought I saw you guys fight back there."

"Meaning what, that I should keep tutoring you to stick it to him? Maybe that's how they do things in Beck land, but I'm not going to do that to my best friend."

"What does that mean?"

"Sometimes I think it would be easier if I got kicked off the team. Especially with my dad."

"I should go find, um, Chase, and just, just try and smooth things over."

"He left a while ago." Beck informed her.

"Great." She nodded. "Well, I guess I'm walking." She walks away. Beck runs after her and meets her back by Cat's car in the front.

"Let me give you a ride." Beck offered.

"It's not that far."

"Forget it, you're not going to walk. We'll take Cat's car."

"I-I'm really fine.

"You're a little high on yourself, aren't you? Going around telling people you're all fine. Look, please, at least take the ride. It's the least I can do." Bree sighs and gets in the car. Beck shuts the door.

* * *

Douglas is in the living room of the Davenport home, watching a game when Deb comes in. "Douglas, we should talk." Deb says, grabbing the remote and turning the TV off. "You know, I try to let these things roll off my back. You shut down and walk out mid-conversation. I swallow it and lit it churn around in my stomach until it makes me sick."

"What? Because I dont want to rehash Karen and jer son for the ten-thousandth time? Frankly, I'm talked out."

"It's about Beck."

"What about him?" Douglas asked.

"He's just so surly and distant lately and I feel powerless to do anything about it. And the way you're pressuring him since Chase joined the team seems to make it worse."

"Me? Did you ever stop to think the problem was you?"

"Oh."

"Maybe if you cared to spend more time at home."

"I'm gone ten days out of the month, tops."

"And you're here, you work 'til all hours."

"And you want to know why, Douglas? Let me tell you. Because ever since you started this basketball thing, I feel like you've been slowly stealing hi, from me. You're made me

"Shut you out? Work has always come first with you?"

"That is not fair. You know how hard I've tried to balance both. But, I swear to God, I never would've done it if I knew how he'd turn out."

"He's a good kid."

"Based on what? His scoring average?"

"Deb, I just want what's best for our son, what makes him happy."

"Well, then, something's not working, Douglas. Because that kid I saw tonight is anything but happy." She states just before leaving.

* * *

Jade stumbles down the stairs, drunk when she stops and sits next to Cat who is looking through something. "Don't let me have another beer unless I beg you. The same goes for beers." She pauses when she sees what Cat is doing. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just wondering if we're all going to end up like Karen."

"Who is Karen?"

"That's Chase's mom."

"Not without proper birth control we won't." Jade remarks.

"That's not what I meant. She was our age when that tape was made, Jade. We're just like her. Don't you think it was awful how she just let Beck's dad treat her like crap?"

"Yeah, but honey, that doesn't mean we're like her. Maybe it means you're like her."

* * *

Bree and Beck are still in Cat's car. They are parked in front of Bree's house. Bree has taken the hat she was wearing earlier off. "Yeah, this is my house. Um, we're staying here while we renovate the mansion."

"It's not like I was trying to show off."

"Isn't that your default setting." Bree paused, realizing that that was mean. "Sorry."

"Can I be honest with you?"

"Uh, yeah. I don't know. You tell me."

"What I said at the beach… that was a lie. I'm really lucky to have basketball. It's pretty much my shell to everything from here on out. If I lose it, it's over for me."

"So, don't lose it."

"Well, that's just the thing. With my grades, I'm close to being ineligible to do the one thing that I'm actually good at. It's not just my life, either. It's my dad's, too. It's like he's still got something to prove to Whitey. And if I screw it up, it's gonna destroy him." Beck pauses. "And it will destroy me. Look, I know you have no reason to do this, and I know it's just going to complicate things with Chase, but I really need your help."

"And I will find you someone else. I promise."

"No. I came to you because you're the best tutor at the school. And you're not going to tear me down. It's not exactly easy having everybody know you're failing. It's you or nobody else."

"I…" Bree pauses. "Okay. I will, um… I will get you through the semester. And then you've got to be on your own. I'm serious."

"That's totally fine with me."

"Okay, um… great, so we'll start on Monday." Bree's about to get out of the car, but she adds, "Lay off Chase." Bree gets out of the car and Beck sighs.

* * *

Just as Chase is pulling to a stop in the Body Shop truck, he sees Cat's car fly by. He follows is. As Beck changes the radio station, he crashes into a parked car and ruins Cat's car. Chase jumps out of his truck, thinking Cat was driving.

"Cat! You okay?" The door opens and he watches Beck get out.

"Yeah, she's fine. I can't say the same for her car though." Beck pulls a bag out of the car. "And what the hell were you doing following my girlfriend?"

"I wasn't. Look, I thought she was driving and she was drinking." He says as Beck starts to leave. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Back to the party, dumbass."

"What, are you gonna leave her car like this?"

"Yeah, and if you stand there you can watch me."

"You know this is a crime."

"So call the cops."

"Beck, you can't walk away from this." Chase pauses. "I saw you do it."

"No you didn't see me do it. Because I was with Tim the whole time. Which is exactly what he's going to say if anybody asks him. He owes me." Beck paused. "So it looks like its your word against ours now. You can guess how that's going to go down."

"So you're just going to lie and walk away. What about Cat? You know, your girlfriend? The car's registered in her name."

"Yeah, and you know what? Come to think of it, like you said, she was really drunk last night. Maybe she did this. But then again, all I see is a wrecked car… and you." Beck walks away, leaving Chase with the car.

* * *

Donald and Chase are looking at Cat's car that's now sitting in front of the at the show. "Hit and run, huh? That's beautiful." Donald says sarcastically. "I could lose my license for this."

"I didn't know what else do. He just walked away."

"You wanna tell me what it is with you and this girl? Huh? That you're willing to break the law for her? Nobody is worth that."

"I couldn't let Beck get away with it the way he does everything else. And I sure as well could let him do that to her."

"Okay. What about the guys car you hit? Huh? He just gets screwed over?"

"I left him a note. I said I did it and to bring his car here."

"Oh, well, that's just great. Chase, you know I'm already struggling to bring in paying customers."

"Look, I'll do the work myself, alright? After hours. And I'll pay for the materials.,

"Oh, you're damn right you will. Your mom's going to love this. "

"No. She's got enough to deal with. You don't have to tell her."

"Oh, I'm not going to. You are. And if you don't, then I will. Because you're going to take something away from this." Donald pauses. "Cover the car. I'll give you a ride home."

Donald walks away and Chase goes to cover the car. In the front passenger seat he finds Bree's hat.

* * *

Karen is on the phone with a plumber. "I want to have a pipe replaced. I don't want to send your kids to college." Karen pauses. "Fine. I'll do it myself." Karen hangs up and picks up a "How To" book. The door opens. "I'm sorry. We're just closing."

"I was hoping to get a coffee. To go." Deb requests, standing at the door. Karen pours Deb a cup of coffee"

"Anything else?" Karen asks.

"A biscotti."

"$3.20." Karen responds. Deb starts to walk away, but is stopped by Karen "Hey." Den turns around. "You tell Douglas that if he wants to spy on me or threaten me or whatever the hell this is, he can come down and do it himself.

"Douglas didn't send me. I came on my own."

"So it's a coincidence."

"No. I wanted you to know… everything that happened between you and Douglas, I don't carry that weight around and I don't care to. Frankly, it looks to me like you've done a wonderful job raising Chase. I've seen the two of you together, and quite honestly, it makes me a bit jealous. Look. Our two families…it's really awkward. I'm not deluded enough to believe otherwise. I know how it is with you and Douglas and our two boys. There's a lot of history there. But it doesn't have to be our history."

* * *

The party has ended at the beach house and Cat's watching the prom video and Beck gets in. It's at the part where the woman asks Karen if she and Douglas will get married. Just as Beck comes in, she says, "You reinvented cruel tonight."

Defensively, Beck exclaims, "It was a joke!"

"It's funny how you're the only one laughing." Cat responds, turning around to face him.

"Like you and your stupid comic strip." Beck pause. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"I'm sorry is getting a little old with you, Beck."

"I know. I just can't remember a time when thing's were this bad."

"Where have you been for the past two hours?" Cat asked.

"I went on a beer run."

"To where? Canada? Beck, I wanted to go home. But I can't because it seems my car's missing. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Uh… I think Tim took it."

"You think?"

"Well, he wanted to take Jade home, so I told him he could take it. I didn't think you'd care." Cat leans forward and grabs a plastic cup.

"I never told a ridiculous lie to my girlfriend's face." She holds the cup out to Beck. "Drink up. Because Jade got a ride home with Theresa after you disappeared. Wanna play again?"

"Alright, so then it was some other girl. I don't know. What's the big deal anyway? I knew you were going to stay here."

"So you gave away my car?"

"Look, whatever. I'm going to bed. Are you coming?"

"Yeah. That's what I'm gonna do. I cannot believe you just asked me that with a straight face." Cat turns around so she doesn't have to look at him.

* * *

Karen walks into the kitchen of her house, taking off her coat, to see Chase sitting at the kitchen table where Bree's hat lays by his arm. "You will not believe the night I had tonight."

"Yeah, me too." Chase responded.

"What's going on? Well, turns out fixing the water mane is not a big deal. I just have to pick up a pipe at the hardware store in the morning. And if you help me dig out where the break is I think we can fix it ourselves."

"So now I'm digging ditches?"

"You mind telling me what happened before you destroy what's left of my table?"

"Did you know you could fit this whole house into the living room of their place at the beach?"

"No. Why would you even go there?"

"Because I love getting dumped on." He responded sarcastically.

"Well, you don't have to put up with that. You could just walk away."

"Like you."

"Excuse me."

"You know, you never told me that you had this whole thing mapped out with Douglas. That you even ever talked about marriage before you were pregnant with me. All you ever said that he found out and took off."

"Wait. Where did you hear this?'

"Those guys...Beck, Beck and his ass of a father; they do whatever they want and screw everybody else in the process. And yet you and I...we stand by and we let them?" Chase asked. "You should've made him give us what we were entitled to so that we didn't have to live like this. You should've made him pay."

"Chase, what happened tonight?"

"I learned something, that's all." He pauses. "Everybody has secret, right mom?"

* * *

It's early morning, and Cat's sleeping on the couch. She's awoken by a knock on the door and screams, "Beck!" He doesn't respond and Cat sees Tim at the door. She gets up to answer it.

"Hey, what's up?" Tim asks once she opens the door.

"Did you bring my car back?" She asked.

"Your car?" Tim is confused. "Uh, I don't have your car." Beck walks up behind Cat, giving Tim a look. "Oh, um, your car...We, um, we, uh..."

"Nice try." She says. She looks to Beck. "Where the hell is my car?"

* * *

Chase is outside, digging, when Karen walks outside and asks, "You calm enough to talk?"

"Sorry I went off." Chase apologized. "I was pissed and you were in the line of fire."

"It's usually when the truth comes out."

"Yeah, well, the truth is I'm the reason you never got what you wanted. So that kind of nullifies my right to complain." Chase sits down on the step and Karen follows suit.

"Is that what you think?" Karen asks. "I got exactly what I want, Chase. Everybody seems to think that I'm some kind of victim. I chose this and if I had to do over, you and I would still be having this conversation."

"Yeah, I know, I just...I hate to see them get away with it, Douglas and Beck, you know. They should've helped you out. It's not fair."

"I'm glad he never offered, because at the time, I honestly don't know what I would've said. But I can tell you this much, Chase. If he had given us money, he'd have felt entitled to have a say in how you were being raised and I think that that would've been a biger price to pay." She paused. "You've seen how Beck's turned out."

"Like father, like son."

"So who do you think we should feel sorry for, ourselves or them?"

* * *

Douglas walks into the Davenport home and greets Deb, "Hey."

"He's still not home." She informs him.

"Oh, he will be."

"I take it this isn't the first time you've let him stay out all night?"

"Oh, I don't want to smother him, Deb. He's a responsible, disciplined kid."

"Is he?" Deb asked. "Your brother just called. "Our responsible, disciplined kid got into a hit and run last night in Cat's car."

"Is he okay?"

"Oh, he's not hurt, but do you want to know what he did afterwards? He walked away and tried to dump it on Chase."

"Well, I'll talk to him." Douglas sighs.

"You'll talk to him." Deb paused. "Is that all you have to say?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know anymore. But I'll tell you one thing. It seems to me you and Beck have gotten a little too comfortable when I'm not around. So I'm cutting back at the foundation; fewer hours or more travel." Deb paused and noticed Douglas looked disappointed. "Try not to look so disappointed."

"Come on, Deb, you don't have to do this."

"Come on, Deb, you don't have to do this."

"I don't have to or you don't want me to?" She asked.

"What?" Beck asks when he walks in and they look at him.

* * *

"Hey, you're still alive." Donald commented as Chase walked in. "I guess you didn't tell your mom about your little crime spree yet, huh?"

"I did this morning. She's working on my punishment now."

"Good. Do you recognize that car over there?" He asks. Chase looks. There's a red car, scratched all the way down the side. "The owner got your note. I talked him out of pressing charges."

"Thanks, Don."

"Let's just get this done, okay? So we can get back to billing for the work we do." Chase looks to see Beck walking in.

"What do you want?" Chase asked him, walking over.

"I, uh, suspect his parents sent him." Donald shouts across the room.

"You told them?"

"Yeah, you may be willing to let him get away with hit, but I'm not." Donald paused. "Try not to kill each other girls." Donald leaves.

"Cat wants to know when she's going to get her car back." Beck says.

"She'll get it when it's fixed."

"How much is the work going to cost?"

"I don't know, a lot. Why?"

"Give me the invoice when it's done. My dad will wright a check."

"No thanks."

"I said we'll pay you."

"You want to pay me? You stay away from me." Beck starts to walk away, but Chase stops him.

"Hey, whatever you're up to..." Beck stops and looks at Chase. "Stay the hell away from Bree."

"We're just talking man. You know, kind of like you and Cat." Chase glares at Beck as he exits.

* * *

Cat is in her room, working on a drawing when Beck walks in. He stands in the door frame and strikes up a conversation. "The car will be ready by Friday."

"Whatever. The bag of things by the door is yours."

"What's all this?"

"It's all the crap you've left here. Take it." She responds. Beck picks something up.

"This is the necklace I gave you." He stated.

"You mean the leash? No thanks."

"Cat, come on." Beck walks over to her. "Look, my mom's going to cool down and everything will be back to normal."

Cat gets up and looks at him. "Okay, trust me. The last thing I want with us is normal. In case you haven't noticed, normal sucks with us, Beck."

"Cat, is this about your car, because I'm taking care of that."

"It's not about the car. It's about you. I finally saw you clearly for the first time last night. The way you treated me, the way you treated Tim, the way you treated your brother."

"Don't call him that."

"And the way you're playing that girl."

"What?" Beck paused. "Are you talking about Bree? Is that what this is about? Cat, she means nothing."

"Okay, if that's the case, then you're an ass." Cat shouts angrily. "And even if she does mean something, you're still an ass and what's really sad, Beck is that you're too stupid to get that. So thank you for being such an amazing son of a bitch last night; you really made this a no-brainer."

"I'll call you when you're not so PMS."

"Don't bother. I mean it, we're done, so get the hell out." He continues to stare at her so she angrily throws the bag at him. "I mean it! Get the hell out!"

Beck leaves in shock and Cat collapses onto her bed.

* * *

Beck is in his room, and he's looking at the necklace, heartbroken.

* * *

Cat is in her room, sitting up on her bed and sketching a red streetlight. Under the streetlight, she writes, "PEOPLE ALWAYS LEAVE."

* * *

Chase is sitting in Cat's car at the shop, reading her comic strip in the newspaper. The next day, he walks into the café to see Bree scrubbing the counter. She looks up and brightens up with a smile. "Hey, I was beginning to think I would never see you again. You're avoiding me, right?"

"I am a little."

"Chase, I was just trying to help. You just jumped down on my throat. We've always been able to talk about stuff, you know. I just had this crazy idea that if...you could see things from Beck's side..." Bree sighs. "You're just a real pain in the butt sometimes." Bree squirts him with a water bottle playfully.

"Yeah, at least we can still be honest with each other."

"Yeah, at least."

"So, if anything were going on with you...anything important or weird, or confusing...I mean, you could still be honest with me about that, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

Chase tosses Bree's hat onto the counter. "You left that in Cat's car." Chase leaves and Bree looks after him, upset.


	5. All That You Can't Leave Behind

**A/N: So, when I thought I was getting a review about the story, I got these two reviews that I am seriously bothered by. **

**Guest: CAN SOMEONE MAKE A CAT AND ADAM ROMANCE STORY. THAT'S ALL ASK.**

**Gabby157: Is there someone out there that can make a Cat and Adam romance story?**

**My responds: Does it look like I'm the person to go to and post this on MY story? Yeah, ain't gonna cut it. I'm sorry, but it's not the way you're going to get the story. Some criticism would be nice, you know. You know there is such a thing called creating your own account and writing your own story. Honestly, considering their personalities, the couple would be dumb. It's just that my story isn't a place where you can just go and ask like people are gonna know that you reviewed, saying that. **

_Chapter 5 - All That You Can't Leave Behind _

The sun is nearly up when Cat is stopped at a green light, just sitting there and waiting in front of Karen's café, where Chase is reading her comic strip indoors. A car drives up behind her and honks. "Hey, move it lady." The driver shouts. "Come on!"

The comic strip has a stop light and the red one says "People always leave." Bree walks in but when she sees Chase, she starts to leave. Chase chases her out.

"Bree," He calls out to her. "How long are we going to do this?"

"Do what?"

"Avoid each other."

"You tell me." Bree responds. "You're the one upset."

"And you're the one who lied to me."

"I don't know what to say to you, Chase."

"Just explain to my why you were with Beck, huh? I mean considering the past few weeks and what's done..."

"I can't."

"You know how I feel about him, Bree." Chase starts to leave.

"Chase, fine!" She shouts. "Yes, I know how you feel about him. But there is something you don't know." She paused. "I promised him I'd tutor him if he left you alone."

"What?"

"I'm doing it for you, Chase." Bree leaves and Cat drives by in her car. Chase starts to run after her as she speeds through a red light. Chase watches, shocked.

_**DAVENPORT'S HOUSE**_

Beck and Tim are practicing basketball in his yard. Tim asks, "So you and Cat are history?"

"Nah, I wouldn't count on that."

"No?"

"Yeah, this is what she does. She freaks out, we break up; a few days later, we make up." Beck explains.

"So why put up with that?"

"A few days later, we make up." Beck smirks as Douglas runs over.

"Hey, ball." Douglas requests. He throws Douglas the ball and shoots it in. "Expect plenty more of that at the father/son game because we're going to crush you guys."

"Oh, is that so?" Beck shoots the ball. "You can expect more of that."

"Bring it on."

_**KAREN'S CAFÉ **_

Bree's working and Chase is sitting at the counter. Bree walks over to Chase. "I'm an idiot." Chase admitted.

"I know."

"I'm sorry." Chase paused. "I miss hanging out with you, Bree."

"Yeah, I miss hanging out with you too."

"Listen. I appreciate everything you did for me. I do, Bree, but how about you let me handle the team from now on, okay?"

"Okay." Bree starts to walk away, but stops at Chase's response.

"Alright, so you can...stop tutoring Beck now."

"Um, no, I can't."

"Bree."

"Chase, I can't. I promised him. If I break that promise, I'm...I'm just as bad as you think he is." Bree walks away and Chase sighs. A man walks over to Chase, carrying a newspaper.

"Hey, Chase, I'm looking forward to see you play in the father/son game this year. Good article about you and your pop." The man sets the newspaper down and Chase picks it up. There's an article with the heading "Great Davenport: A Basketball Tradition Lives On," with a picture of Douglas and Beck.

_**Douglas' House**_

Beck is ready the article aloud to Douglas in a negative tone. "Who would've known that Douglas Davenport's basketball pedigree would be inherited by his two sons, Beck Davenport and Chase?"

"You've got to be kidding me." Douglas takes the paper.

"That's great, Dad. We're all one big happy family now."

"Watch it." He paused. "I wonder what they're paying this reporter to support his crack habit."

"How about some breakfast?" Deb asked.

Douglas replies, "I lost my appetite."

"Doug, the boy exists. He's on the team. It's not exactly headline news."

"No, Deb, apparently it is."

"Well, how do you think Chase and Karen feel about it?"

"Gosh, I don't know." He said, turning to her. "Maybe we should invite them over for breakfast and find out."

Beck was the next one to speak. "Alright, look. If you guys are going to argue, I'm out of here."

"We're not arguing. Your breakfast is getting cold."

"I'm just going to grab something at school with my brother." Beck spoke, walking out of the kitchen. Deb sighs and looks at Douglas.

"You know, there is a chance that Chase and Beck can get along if their father encouraged it."

"True. But there's also a chance that hell can freeze over." They glare at each other.

_**Mission Creek High **_

Beck walks over to Cat's locker with a question in mind. "You're not still mad at me, are you?"

"I'm not mad. We're just over." Cat walks away, leaving a shocked Cat behind. Jade walks by and over to Chase.

"Hey, cutie, I saw your picture in the paper." She greeted him and paused. "Personally, I didn't think it did you justice."

"No?"

"No." She grabs the front of his shirt. "That's far too much clothing." Jade walks away and Chase sees Bree and Beck talking in front of the tutoring center, and glares at them.

_**Gym **_

As the team practices, Whitey walks over to Chase. "Hey, Chase. That father versus son game's coming up. Have you considered who you want to play with?"

"I figured I'd skip it." Chase informs him.

"Oh, come on, son. I know it's hard, but it will be worse if you don't play." Whitey paused. "Besides, I thought you said you were through hiding from Douglas."

"I am."

"Well, wouldn't it be fun to dunk on him." He pats Chase on the back and they share a smile before Whitey walks away.

The cheerleader's are practicing and Jade's leading them. "Here we go! Dingos lets score!" The Cheerleaders shout. They form a position and Jade sees that Cat has the arms wrong.

"Wait! Hold on, Cat, you've got the arms wrong."

"It's not brain surgery, Jade." Cat commented.

"Okay, what's with the attitude?" Jade asked.

"What's with your life? Seriously, aren't you embarrassed that the most important thing in your world is some stupid cheer."

"Look, I'm really sorry things didn't work out with you and Beck, but don't go all Mariah on me, okay?"

"You think this is about Beck?" Cat paused. "You're not even close! You're not even in the neighborhood of close!" Cat shouts.

Jade asks, "Okay, then, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is how...pointless all of this is."

"Stop saying that!" Jade shouted, tired of Cat's current attitude. Cat's outbursts have everyone in the gym, even Whitey, staring at her.

"No, because it's true! What difference does it make if you sleep with a popular guy or you go to the right party or you know the moves to some moronic cheer to do with some lame-ass game I could care less about?" Cat throws the pom-poms into Jade's arms and storms away as a stunned Jade looks at Beck and Chase.

_**Auto Body Shop**_

Chase walks in as Donald works on a car. Donald looks at him and says, "Hey, you're not working today."

"Yeah, I have a favor to ask. Uh, there's this father/son charity basketball game. Whitey says I've got to play, so...you interested?"

"Yeah." Donald responds.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, okay, of course. I might be, you know, a little out of shape, not to mention I wasn't worth a crap back in high school."

"Well, it's better for us, right?" Chase paused. "Why don't you start coming to the court with us?"

"Hang with a member of the Davenport basketball dynasty?" Donald holds up the newspaper. "So how are you doing with that?"

"Well. What are you going to do? It sucks for my mom..."

"Yeah, what about you?"

"Honestly...I can't stand being connected to Beck or Douglas." Just as he finishes, Douglas rides in on his bike.

"Hey, big brother, I was getting some cardio in, ran out of water. You wanna help me out?"

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Donald grabs a water bottle.

"So, uh, you wanna buy some charity tickets to the big father/son game?"

"Oh, well, I," Donald throws the bottle to Douglas. "You know I could if I wasn't playing in it. Chase invited me."

"Oh, great, well, try not to soil the Davenport family name while you're at it."

"Yeah...that's every day advice for you, huh?" Douglas ignores him, turning to Chase.

"Hey, kid, it seems as though you have an obligation to the family name, too. Don't blow it." Doug threatened.

Chase, who has kept quiet until now, turns angrily at Doug. "That article's a lie. You're not my father and you never were."

"You're right. It is a lie. You should've never had the name in the first place." Douglas responds before riding off.

"Douglas!" Donald shouted angrily after him. He turns back to Chase who throws an object down angrily. Donald asks, "You okay?"

"Look, I have no responsibility to him or his name."

"Just...don't let him get inside your head, okay?"

"You know what," Chase responded. "I don't plan on it. You know, as a matter of fact, I think it's about time I get out from under this guy completely."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm not gonna be a Davenport anymore. I'm gonna change my last name." He explains. Donald looks upset.

_**Mission Creek High **_

Douglas knocks on the door of Whitey's office and walks to his desk. "You're late. I expected you this morning after that article in the paper."

"I understand Chase has asked Donald to play in the basketball game. Do you think that's wise?"

"Why not?"

"Well, Donald isn't exactly a father." Douglas responds. Whitey laughs.

"You're not the best father, either, Douglas, and you're playing."

"What about Chase? You have to know this will be embarrassing for him."

"Embarrassing for him? What about embarrassing for you?" Whitey asked. Douglas starts to leave, but Whitey continues to speak. "Wait a minute. This isn't about Chase or Donald. This is all about you, Douglas, and that feeling you get in the pit of our stomach when you see the son that you never claimed." Whitey paused. "You were a great player. Maybe the best I ever had. But you can score a hundred points in this game and that feeling's not going to go away. It'll be there until you acknowledge that Chase is your son and that you made a mistake."

Douglas looks at Whitey.

_**Mini-Golf Course on the Roof**_

Karen and Chase are playing the mini-golf course when Karen brings up Donald. "Donald's been working hard getting ready for the game. He mentioned that you're thinking of, uh, changing your last name?"

"I just don't want people to read these stupid articles and think I played ball just because Douglas did. I don't want you to have to read that stuff."

"Well, you're in the spotlight now. The article's come with the territory. But I don't want you to run away from that. I'd rather you face your problems head on."

"I just...figured it would make you happy if I took your name."

"When I found out I was pregnant, Douglas already had a basketball scholarship and nothing was going to get in the way of that. But then something strange happened. Right before classes started, Douglas changed his mind. He said he'd finish the semester and...we'd get married. So when I went into labor and you appeared, the nurse asked for you name and I said it was Davenport. Donald was there, and when the nurse brought you in she let him hold you. I've known Donald my whole life, and that's the only time I've seen him cry." Karen paused. "Your father never showed up."

"So to hell with him, I don't want his name."

"Donald's a Davenport too, you know." After Karen states that, Chase looks pained.

"I've never of you or your name, Chase, not for a second. Then I also never had to carry that name in this town the way you have, so if you want to change it, you have my blessing." Karen spoke. "But it's just a name, Chase. What you do with it is up to you."

_**Mission Creek High **_

Beck runs to catch up with Jade. He calls out to her, "Jade!" She turns to him and waits for him to catch up. "Hey. Have you heard from Cat?"

"Not since you two broke up and she went psycho on me in practice. Why?"

"She's not in school and she won't pick up at home or on her cell."

"Well...maybe she's out kicking the homeless."

_**Cemetery **_

Cat's sitting on a bench, lighting a cigarette, but quickly puts it away when Whitey walks over. "There are a lot of smokers in this place." Whitey states as he walks over to her.

"I don't really smoke. I just figured since Beck and I broke up, I've got new room for a new bad habit."

Whitey laughs and asks, "Mind if I sit down?" Cat pats the bench and he takes a seat. "She was quite a gal, your mother."

"Yeah, she was."

"She used to lead cheers for my team, too. And you've got her looks."

"I don't really remember her."

"Oh, I do. She was a wily one. Your old man didn't stand a chance."

"So what are you doing here? Are you making a reservation?" She asks. Whitey laughs.

"You better watch it!" Whitey paused. "No. No. My wife, Camilla, is buried out there; right over behind those trees." He points to the spot. "I couldn't get in a word edgewise while she was still alive so I come out here and visit, tell her about things."

"You think she's listening?"

"Yeah, I know she's listening." He paused. "I lost my wife just about the time your mother passed away. That always makes us the weak and tough one."

"They're all tough."

"Yeah." He responds as they look off sadly.

_**Beck's House**_

As soon as Bree finishes correcting a paper of Beck's, she says, "The good news is you did better...and the bad news is better is a D."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't really give this one my best shot."

"What's going on with you?" Bree asked, looking up at him.

"Well, you know me and Cat broke up."

"Cat and I," She corrected him.

"Oh, she broke up with you too?" Beck paused. "I just...I didn't know she was going to take it this hard. She went off on Jade at practice. I'm kinda worried about her."

"Well, maybe you should've worried more about her when you were together. I'm sorry, but come on, it's true."

"No!" Beck shouted. "You don't know the first thing about Cat and I."

Bree corrected, "Me and Cat."

"Whatever."

_**Cat's Car**_

Cat's in her car, waiting for the light to turn red when Chase runs over. "Why do you do this?" He asked her as he gets in.

"If I were you, I'd get back out now."

"Not until you tell me what's going on." The light turns red and Cat drives through it. "Come on! Slow down, Cat! Come on! Slow the car down! Cat, slow the car down!" He shouted over the wind.

Cat starts to explain her mom's death, "She was driving to school to pick me up. She was late, so she ran a red light. It was one light at the wrong split second and it ended for her."

She finally stops and continues, "My mom ran one red light. I run them all the time and nothing happens. It's not fair."

"No, it's not." He responded.

"You can, uh, you can get out now."

"I can stay if you want." Chase offered.

"No. You can't." She responds. Chase gets out and watches as Cat drives away.

_**Garage **_

Donald's working and Douglas walks in. Doug greets, "Hey, Don."

"Hey. It's twice in a week. It's got to be some kind of record."

"Yeah, well, it's this father/son thing."

"How about a frosty?"

"Nope, I'm in training." Douglas responds. Donald suddenly laughs.

"It's just a game, Doug."

"No, it's a public event. I mean, what are people gonna think, especially after the article?"

"Oh yeah, about that..." Donald turns to look at Douglas. "What in the hell is wrong with you telling Chase he never deserved the name Davenport? Now you got him going out and wanting to change his name."

"Well, he doesn't deserve it."

"The hell he doesn't!" Donald shouted. "You fathered him, Douglas."

"That's right. It brings me to my original point. What do you think you're doing playing in the basketball game? I mean, whatever you think you are to Karen and her son, you're not a husband or a father."

"How much does a suit like that cost? It's gonna look like hell when I lay you out all over that greasy floor."

"Come on, big brother."

"That's right; big brother. And no matter what you did on that basketball court a lifetime ago, and no matter what you do now, I'll always be your big brother. So guess what, Douglas? It was my name first, it's Chase's name now, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Okay, Donald." Doug responded.

"You know you can be ashamed of me and you can be ashamed of Chase, but what makes you think we're not just as ashamed of you? Huh?" Donald paused. "Now get out of my shop."

_**Dingos Locker Room **_

Cat walks in and all the guys are whooping and catcalling while Beck looks stunned. She tells Beck "hi" as she passes him and then reaches Whitey's office.

"Hi."

Whitey laughs, "You never know who you're going to see in the boys' locker room these days."

"Or what you'll see." Cat remarked, pausing as she walked over to the desk. "I thought maybe we could talk...unless you're too busy."

"No, sure, we can talk."

_**Beck's House **_

Beck and Bree are talking when Bree suddenly asks, "Are you still in denial?"

"About what?"

"Are you still in denial about missing her?" Bree paused. "It's okay that you do."

"What are you my tutor or my shrink?" Beck asked.

"I'm whatever you need."

Beck started opening up to her. "I treated Cat pretty bad. She had every right to walk away. Okay, yeah, it was my fault. I screwed up. I just wish I had another chance."

"Nice work."

"That was the truth." Beck said as he watched Bree grade a worksheet of his.

"No. I mean on your practice exam." She holds up the paper. "81."

"Oh." Beck paused. "You know, it's funny. I think we've actually talked more than Cat and I ever did."

"Cat and I...good job."

"Yeah, good job with you too." Beck paused. "Hey, are you coming to the game?"

"Well, it depends on how you do on your English exam. If you make anything less than an 81, I'm staying home and watching _The Office_." Bree starts to leave.

"Alright." There's a beat until he turns around and calls her. "Bree?"

Bree turns back to look at him and questions him, "Yeah?"

"I know this hasn't been easy for you. I just wanted to say thanks."

"Good luck." She responds before leaving.

_**The Bridge**_

Cat and Whitey are walking down the bridge, talking about their lives. "My wife wouldn't let me smoke in the house, so, uh, I got in the habit of coming up here to this bridge." Whitey paused. "I'd offer you one, but I know you're trying to come down."

"How long have you been coaching?"

"Too long."

"Do you ever wonder about it?"

"What?"

"I mean you've spent your whole life watching boys play a game."

Whitey laughs before responding. "Well, I'd prefer to think I was teaching them to play." He stopped. "Yeah, sometimes I think about the conversations when I'm finished between me and my wife and the holidays I missed because I was off coaching somewhere. That's when I come closest to thinking it was a mistake."

"Do you miss her?"

"Every day." He stopped. "Cat, it's hard to lose somebody. I spent a lot of time searching for reasons or answers, but you can't find what's not there. It just happened."

"So you gonna light that thing or what?" Cat asked, glancing at the cigarette.

"No. I used to love cigars, but I haven't smoked one since I lost Camilla. I don't even carry matches anymore. I don't guess I've been much help to you. But I do know one thing. You're mothers proud of you." Whitey starts to leave but turns to Cat and says, "Take care of yourself, kiddo."

Cat looks away sadly as he walks away.

_**Rooftop Mini-Golf Course**_

Bree is playing when Chase comes up. He greets her, "Hey."

"Hey." When all there is silence between the two, Bree continues. "I really don't want to be like this, Chase."

"What is that?"

"This, us skirting around each other; I mean, we're friends. You know, when you wanted to join the team, I didn't understand it and I told you that, but I supported you."

"I know."

"So support me!" Bree shouts. "When I'm tutoring someone and they get it, and that light goes on, and I feel good! I feel worthy, the same way that you feel when you play basketball. Besides, haven't things gotten better for you? The team's left you alone, the hazing's stopped? Yeah. So, that's worth the risk for me. What's not the risk are us. We're friends and that's important to me."

"You're just tutoring?"

"I am just tutoring him. That's it."

"Okay." They knock fists, smiling.

_**Playground Court**_

Chase and Donald are practicing for the game. Chase calls out, "Oh, game." They take a break and take seat on the bench.

"Oh, I think I pulled a kidney." Donald joked.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." He responded. "So, you, uh, decide on the name thing yet?'

"Well, I downloaded the forms, but mom's still got to sign off on them."

"Do you mind if I tell you what I think?"

"I think you just did."

"Hey, I know I'm not your father, and, I'd never try to tell you what to do, but...I just...wish you'd think about it."

"I will...and you know you don't have to play if you don't want to."

"Oh. Why do you say that?"

"I...I know it puts you in a weird spot. And Douglas and Beck are your family too, right?"

"As far as I'm concerned, you and your mom are my family as long as you have me." Donald responds. "You know, Douglas and me, we, uh, we've never seen eye to eye; even when we were kids. And Beck's practically a stranger. Besides, uh, I was honored that you asked me to play."

"Good. I was hoping you'd say that." Chase paused. "Listen. I've got to take off. I'll talk to you later?"

"Si." Donald and Chase hug.

"Take care, alright." Chase paused. "Hey, Donald?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

_**Beck's House**_

Beck is sitting outside when Deb comes over. She stands behind him and asks, "How's my boy?"

"Why? Did dad send you to spy on me? Where's my drink?" He asks. Deb hands Beck the drink and he sniffs it. "You know, you'd think he organized this entire thing himself just so he could get back on the court."

"I know he's been tough on you lately, Beck, but I want you to know things are going to change around here."

"I just wish he'd lie off, you know. I wanna do well for him. He just gets so worked up about this stuff."

"Well, if you don't want to play, don't play. He'll get over it."

"You know that's a lie, mom." Beck hands her his drink and walks away. Deb looks upset.

_**The Bridge **_

Chase walks up to Cat, dribbling a basketball. "Hey, I've been thinking about you." Chase speaks.

"Try a cold shower." She responded, taking it the wrong way. "Sorry. You set yourself up for that one."

"Yeah, I guess so. How are you doing?"

"Let's see, um...I broke up with my boyfriend. My mom's dead. And my dad's away on a job."

"What does your dad do?"

"He captains a drudging boat. He's only here for those forked anniversaries but this year, he sent his sympathies in an email." Cat paused. "I read your article. I think it seemed like you guys are just one great, big, happy family."

"Yeah, it's kind of ironic, huh? You know, I would gladly erase my dad if it would bring back your mom." Chase paused. "I wish I could change it for you."

"Thank you." Cat paused. "I gotta go."

"Hey, Cat!" He shouted.

"Don't ruin it, okay?" She walks away and Chase looks after her.

**Douglas' House**

Douglas is sitting in a chair, watching TV, when Deb comes in. "Are you excited about your game tomorrow?" She asked.

"Truthfully, it's like Christmas Eve."

"And have you been naughty or nice?'

"Have I been naughty? Well, which would you prefer?" Douglas pulls Deb into his lap and kisses her. She pulls back.

"Honey, I know this is important to you and I know that Beck is talented but...I think you push him too hard sometimes. Um, I worry that he won't enjoy it anymore."

"Oh, hey enjoys it. If he doesn't, he'll regret it when it's gone."

"Do you?"

"I do every day."

Deb looks upset as Douglas continues wistfully, "There's nothing like it, Deb. Walking into the arena, hearing the cheers of a sellout crowd, knowing it's going to be your night. And for an hour or two, the world is yours and there is nothing they can do to stop it. I wish I would've known you then. I wish you could've been there. No decisions to make, cars to sell, bills to pay. It's just the game and I was good." He paused. "It's the best it ever was for me."

"Better than your life now, better than knowing your son or me?"

"It was different." Deb nods sadly.

_**Cat's Room **_

Cat is painting a canvas and there is a knock on the door. She looks back to see Beck standing in the doorway. He looks at the painting, which is all black. "What do you call that?"

"It's love." As soon as she replies, Beck looks hurt. "What do you want, Beck?"

"It's what I don't want." He stopped for a second. "I don't want this for us."

"Maybe you should've thought of that sooner."

"Yeah, I know, and uh...I've been thinking about how we were when we started going out. Like that day at Richfield beach and the nights here in your room."

"We haven't been that way in a long time."

"We could be. Come on, Cat. I've been thinking about you and I know you've been thinking about me."

"I've actually had a lot going on lately."

"Yeah, me too; my dad's been going crazy about this father/son game and my mom...it's like ever since she come back, she's been wanting to hang out-"

Cat interrupts him, "I can't really hear this right now."

"Alright, well, how about you come to the game? Maybe we could hang out afterwards." Cat turns back to the canvas as Beck continues. "I miss you, Cat. I'll see there." As she continues painting, Beck leaves.

_**Field House**_

It's finally game time and Beck is walking with a friend, but he sees Bree. "I'll catch up to later man." He runs over to Bree. "Got a sec?"

"Hey, yeah, what's up?" She asks.

"Check that out!" Beck holds up a test.

A smile slits Bree's face in half. "An 84!" She shouts happily. "That's so great!" Beck holds out his arms for a hug.

"Yeah, hey, congratulations!" She hugs him and Chase looks on. Beck meets Chase's gaze, almost defiantly. Beck and Bree pull away.

_**Locker Room **_

The fathers stand in the locker room, getting ready. "Hey!" A man shouts. "Douglas, the man, is you going to carry us tonight or what?"

"You know it, Bruce. I'll carry the team and Donald can carry my jock." The men laugh and Bruce shakes Donald's hand.

"Donald, it's good to see you man."

"You too, Bruce."

"I didn't know you had a son that played too."

Douglas looks up to see Donald staring at him as he says, "Well, actually I'm just a stand in. One of the boy's don't have a father." Donald and Douglas share a look.

_**Basketball Court **_

They boys are practicing and Chase is ignoring Bree, who's screaming to him from the bleachers. "Chase! Chase! Hey, Davenport!"

Both Chase and Beck look at her. Bree gestures with a "what's wrong with you?" look. A whistle blows and they run to the side.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. And welcome to the Mission Creek Dingos' father and son charity basketball game. Tonight the fathers battle the songs and the winner gets bragging rights. Coming soon tonight, Dingos son league MVP Beck Davenport. And for the father's, the all-time even scorer in the history of Mission Creek, and state championship runner-up, put your hands together for Douglas Davenport!" The announcer shouts into the microphone.

"It sounds like the old man got a louder applause than you did." Douglas remarks.

Back at him, Beck asks, "Are you sure your hearing aid's not turned up too loud?" They laugh and the game starts. Douglas is not taking any mercy on Beck as the they get ready to play.

_**Cat's Car**_

Cat's driving again. She blows through a red light.

_**The Game**_

"Under a minute remaining now and the Dingos sons are putting on show. They've made a mockery out of this one. 28 point lead and they're running it on the fathers. Chase Davenport spins the ball on his finger...over to Hamilton...Hamilton disgraces his father."

"Don't try that crap with me, Beck!" Douglas shouts at Beck.

"Beck Davenport tries...scores and is left with an even 30 points at halftime."

While intermission is going on, the fathers are back in the locker room and Douglas speaks, "You guys suck out there. It's embarrassing."

"For you, maybe."

"Come on...you play house with a girl I get pregnant in high school and I'm supposed to be embarrassed?'

"It's embarrassing because we're old men, Douglas. We're playing horribly and that's the way it's supposed to be."

"Not for me." Douglas answers. He walks into the adjoining Dingos locker room.

"Enemy approaching." Tim shouts.

"That's right; enemy approaching." He responds. "Are you going to bring your best game or what?"

"You're down by thirty, dad."

"NO, I'm talking to you. You bring your best game, I'll be mine, and then we'll see."

"We'll see what?" Beck asked.

"We'll see whose best or maybe you'd rather not know."

Donald walks in, having heard Douglas the hold time. "Hey. Come on, relax, little brother."

"This isn't your place, Donald."

"Well, it's not your place either, Douglas. It's their game now and we should be proud they're so good."

"Like you had anything to do with it."

"Let's see what you got." Douglas addresses to Beck.

"You walk away, Douglas!" He shouts as Douglas walks out of the room.

"Any of you give me your best game and I'm gonna hurt you." Donald tells the team teasingly then tells Beck, "You're doing fine."

_**Cat's Car**_

Cat is stopped at a green light. It turns red and she blows through, almost getting hit. She starts to cry in the middle of the intersection. Everyone's beeping and yelling at her.

_**The Game **_

Everyone runs out and Bree chases Chase. "Chase. Are you mad at me? What's going on?" She asks.

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Okay, can you just tell me what I did, please?"

"Who Beck? God, he got a good grade on that math quiz. It was nothing."

"I want to believe you, Bree, I do. But I don't think you're telling the truth."

"I am telling the truth Chase. There's nothing going on."

Chase notices her bracelet. "Nice bracelet." Chase runs off and she looks upset.

"Well folks, an impressive showing for Douglas Davenport." The announcer starts to speak. "The kids are just too much. What do you say we make this interesting? Let's make the score 0-0 and the next basket wins."

The Dingos sons huddle then break. Beck calls over the ball, "Alright, give me the ball!"

"Let's go, fellas!" Tim shouts. "Dingos on three; one, two three!"

"Dingos!" They take the court.

"The Dingos' sons have the ball, and the next basket wins."

"Game over, dad." Beck mutters, taking a glance at Douglas.

"Beck Davenport to the tape. He catches the ball in the wing. He rides to the-holy crap!" Douglas pushes Beck to the ground. Deb jumps up, concerned. "Let's hope the young man's okay."

Chase and Whitey look on in shock. Beck's still on the ground and Douglas looks down at him.

"Are you okay?" He asks. "I couldn't give you the winning bucket, Beck." A hand reaches down to help Beck up; it's Chase.

"Beat them?"

"Yeah, but I want to do it myself."

"Well, good news, folks." The announcer shouts. "Beck seems to be okay. And the Dingos sons still have a crack at it. Chase Davenport hands the ball to Beck. He drives-ooh! He drops the ball. It's moving. That will create a turnover. The fathers have a crack at it. Looks like it's payback time."

Douglas walks over and says, "That was a sloppy turnover, Beck. That's not like you."

"That's because it was on purpose."

"On purpose? Why?"

"Because you don't deserve my best game, Dad. Look, I could've beaten you. You know it and I know it. You know if you want to mess with that, go ahead. I'll give it to you." Beck steps back and Douglas shoots. Everyone's stunned. "You didn't beat me, dad. You never will."

Beck storms off and everyone's shocked.

After the game, Chase and Donald stand next to each other in the locker room. Chase congratulates him, "Good game."

"What? Are you kidding me?" Donald asked. "I was by far the worst one out there. And that includes old Mr. Budieres and his wooden leg."

"Oh, Donald, you know it's never about basketball. And just so you know...what you did for beck, what you've done for me...well, let's just say I was proud to have you as my dad for the night." Chase paused. "You know, I've been thinking about what you said about the Davenport name, and...and I think I'll keep it. I just hope I can wear it as well as you."

"Thanks." Donald says, giving Chase a hug.

_**Outside the Field House**_

Beck walks outside of the field house to see Cat is there. He smiles, looking at her and starts to speak. "Hey. I'm glad you came. I knew you would. I want you to know things are going to be different for us."

"Did you know that my mom died tonight, seven years ago?" She asked. Beck's face went blank; he clearly didn't know. "You didn't know because you never asked. I didn't come for you tonight."

"Why'd you come?" He asked. Chase walks out the door and Cat turns and looks at him. Chase looks at her. Beck looks shocked; he gets it. She walks away from both boys and they watch her.

_**Locker Room **_

Douglas is still in the locker room, upset. Donald gets up and leaves the locker room, looking at Douglas.

_**Cat's Car**_

Cat sits in her car. She waits for the green light and goes. Symbolically, as she drives, all the lights are green.

"_John Steinbeck once wrote "It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and trying so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world." - Lucas Scott_

**Next Chapter - Every Night is Another Story: When Whitey ejects Beck and Chase from the team bus due to their misconduct on the basketball court; they're stranded 30 miles from home **

_Sneak Peek: _

Inside, Bree and Cat are "dancing" to music from the car radio as if they were best friends. Cat laughs. "Come on baby!" Bree shouts, playing an invisible electric guitar.

"We need some more music!" Cat leans toward the radio as the car veers off the road.

"Cat!" Bree shouts, grabbing the wheel. The car goes back onto the road and Jade jumps up from where she was lying in the backseat.

"Sorry..." Cat apologizes.

Lost in time, Jade asks, "Where the hell are we?"

"We're miles from normal."

"What is she doing here?" Jade asks Cat, pointing to Bree.

"You invited her!" Cat and Bree laugh but Jade just looks confused. Cat turns the radio on and Jade grabs her head in pain.

"Ow!" Music is playing loudly and Cat and Bree are laughing.

"Nice. What's next?" Bree asks.

"Uh, you pick." Cat offers. Jade gives Cat a weird look.

"Aright." Bree reaches toward the radio. The car speeds toward where Beck and Chase are walking. As the girls see Chase and Beck together, they lean forward in curiosity.

"Oh my..." Bree speaks slowly.

"Could this night get any freakier?" Cat asks.

"What the hell is going on?" Jade questions.


	6. Every Night is Another Story

A/N: QUIT REVIEWING ON MY STORY ASKING SOMEONE TO MAKE A CAT AND ADAM ROMANCE STORY! IT IS FREAKING ANNOYING AND I'VE HAD IT SO JUST SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT A CAT AND ADAM STORY! HOLY GEEZ!

_Every Night is Another Story _

**Inside, Bree and Cat are "dancing" to music from the car radio as if they were best friends. Cat laughs. "Come on baby!" Bree shouts, playing an invisible electric guitar. **

"**We need some more music!" Cat leans toward the radio as the car veers off the road. **

"**Cat!" Bree shouts, grabbing the wheel. The car goes back onto the road and Jade jumps up from where she was lying in the backseat. **

"**Sorry..." Cat apologizes. **

**Lost in time, Jade asks, "Where the hell are we?" **

"**We're miles from normal." **

"**What is she doing here?" Jade asks Cat, pointing to Bree. **

"**You invited her!" Cat and Bree laugh but Jade just looks confused. Cat turns the radio on and Jade grabs her head in pain. **

"**Ow!" Music is playing loudly and Cat and Bree are laughing. **

"**Nice. What's next?" Bree asks. **

"**Uh, you pick." Cat offers. Jade gives Cat a weird look. **

"**Aright." Bree reaches toward the radio. The car speeds toward where Beck and Chase are walking. As the girls see Chase and Beck together, they lean forward in curiosity. **

"**Oh my..." Bree speaks slowly. **

"**Could this night get any freakier?" Cat asks. **

"**What the hell is going on?" Jade questions. **

_12 Hours Ago _

**Mission Creek High**

Chase and Bree are walking down the school yard. "Hey stranger." She greets him.

"Hmm, no stranger than you."

"Hmm."

"Nah, I was, uh, at the library late; midterms.

"Yours or Beck's?"

"Both, actually."

"Well, good luck with that."

"Chase, you're cool with this, right? I mean, last week, when you said you didn't trust me..."

"I know. I didn't mean that. Alright? I meant I don't trust Beck." He finishes as Cat starts walking toward him.

"Hey, you got a second?" Cat asked.

"Speaking of…" Bree leaves and Cat winces.

"So last week… sucked. I just… wanted to say thanks."

"Oh, you made me a mix?"

"I'm just trying to square my karma."

"Uh-huh. Does this mean we're dating?"

"Listen, you've got a long bus ride tonight and I had some free time. Don't read too much into it." Cat walks away and Chase watches.

Beck catches up with Bree as she's walking. "Bree! Hey!

"Hey."

"Coming to the game tonight?"

"Um… I don't know."

"You should come. We always beat the crap out of the Pickerington Hicks."

"They're called the Hicks?"

"Well no. But they should be. The place is all pickup trucks and mulch." Bree laughs at his statement. "It's definitely worth the road trip. I'll look for you."

"Okay." Bree says as Beck walks away.

_**Davenport Kitchen **_

Deb walks in to the kitchen. "Douglas, we should get going."

"What is wrong with these people, putting an SPL dinner on a game night?" Douglas asked as he walks into the room.

"Honey, it's once a year. We'll go; we'll enjoy a nice, adult evening downtown. And tomorrow you can pour over the box scores."

"I still don't understand why we booked a room. It's only a thirty minute drive."

"Maybe because you and your wife are in need of some good, old fashioned alone time." Deb says, and they kiss.

"I like the sound of that." Douglas pauses. "Well Nathan's got his cell. I can keep tabs on the game from dinner."

"Douglas, why don't we spend 48 hours without basketball and see where we wind up? Okay?"

"Sure."

"Thank you."

_**Chase's House**_

Karen walks into the kitchen, holding two dresses out to Chase. "Okay." Karen says, getting ready to go to the SPL dinner. "What does this dress say to you?"

"Uh...beware of crazy ladies who talk to dresses."

"No, come on, really, I need your help. Which one says singles and successful or married to her work?"

"Is this for that justice league thing?"

"It's the small business league. And yes. It's one of the few times a year I get to dress up and I'd like to look nice."

"Well, is Keith still going as your date?"

"He's not a date. We're just going together. Why would you say that?"

"You guys hang out a lot. You get along well…"

"Yeah, well I get along with the guy who delivers our water. That doesn't mean I'm gonna date him."

"Yeah, but the guy who delivers our water is not Donald."

"Where is this coming from?"

"Well, you know I've been thinking, you know, that you're not exactly old, Mom."

"Thanks… I think."

"I'm just saying that I'd be all right with it, you know… if that's what you're worried about."

"Well, thank you, Cupid. Now, help with the dresses, please."

"Black, I guess."

"Hmm. Black it is." Karen goes to leave but stops. "Donald didn't say something to you, did he?"

"Oh, about the date that you two aren't going on tonight? Not a word…" Chase's voice fades. Karen laughs.

"Good luck with your game."

"Yeah, you too, Mom." Karen holds up a hand as she leaves and Chase laughs.

_**Cat's Room **_

Jade comes to the door, waving a washcloth as Cat sits on her bed. "Is it safe yet?" Jade asks. "Is there no hostile tone, no bitter complaints, not yelling at your best friend because you broke up with your jerk of a boyfriend?"

When Cat smiles, she exclaims, "Oh my god, a smile!"

"Alright. I was a mess last week. I'm sorry." She says as Jade cheers in front of the web cam.

"Apology accepted!" Jade shouted. "A-P-O-L-O-G-Y, apology! Get your skinny butt up and let's go beet the pirates." Jade flashes her bloomers at the web cam.

Stunned, but laughing, Cat asks, "What are you doing?'

"What? It's a web cam. It's what they're for." Cat pauses. "Come on." Jade walks over to Cat. "Overweight." She throws her pompoms at Cat. "Now we're even."

"You're dead!" Cat jumps up and chases her from the room. "Dead!"

_**A Bus **_

The Dingos are getting on and Whitey's in the front. "Alright! Knock it off. This is our first away game. For those of you who are unfamiliar, you sit there with your mouths shut and focus. I'll choose the music." Whitey holds up a cassette tape.

"Tonight's theme is defense." Whitey inserts the tape and old sappy music starts playing. Chase and Beck put their headphones on]

"Let's roll!" Whitey shouts. Chase puts in Cat's CD and starts reading Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men.

_**Pickerington Gym **_

Leo and Bree are sitting in the bleachers, as Leo's "announcing".

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman, from the stinks of Pickerington where the pirates always suck and the livestock is nervous, I'm Leo Dooley and sitting in with me at tonight's away game is Bree James. Bree, how do you see tonight's match up?" Leo holds out his "microphone" to Bree.

"I'd rather not be associated with your lunacy, Leo." Leo covers the microphone and pulls it away.

Jade and Cat walk into the gym as the team warms up. "Oh, see, Chase looks even hotter in blue. You should totally hook up with him."

"Stop it."

"What? At the very least you're due for a little rebound action unless you're still into Beck."

"I'm not."

"Alright. Since you're my pal you can have a courtesy hold on Chase for the weekend, but after that he's fair game."

"He's already fair game, thanks."

"So what's the story with that one anyway?" They look over at Bree.

"She's tutoring Beck… supposedly."

"And hanging out with Chase. Right… we're supposed to believe she's just friends with both of them?" Jade looks back over at Bree as Beck nods at her.

"Did you see that?"

"What?"

"Beck just gave her the nod."

"What nod?"

"The "lets hook up after the game" nod. Wanna know what I think? I think Beck likes tutor girl. But I think tutor girl likes Chase. And I know I like Chase. And I don't know who the hell you like anymore. This is all turning into one big love… rectangle plus one, whatever that is.

Cat laughs and Jade runs off.

_**During the Game **_

"So as you've heard Ravens have the big lead early in the second quarter." Beck smashes the ball out of some Pirate's hands. "Ooh. And that's a foul by Beck Davenport." Beck walks over to Chase.

"Hey. Why don't you try putting your hands up on defense, alright?" Beck asked him.

"Why don't you try not getting beat?"

"Why don't I just beat your ass?"

Beck starts to walk away. "Moron… keep it up, punk." A whistle blows and the referee throws the ball in.

"Ball in!"

"Hey, you gonna talk or you gonna play, Daddy's boy?" Chase asked.

"Hey, Bree's looking pretty fine tonight, right? I can't wait to get with that." The Pirates get another basket]

Chase tells Cat, "Hey. So I saw Beck in the shower… yeah, no wonder you broke up with him."

Jade laughs as Chase runs off. Cat just looks shocked. Beck throws a basketball at Chase. Chase storms back and the two proceed to fight, knocking Jade over and fighting on top of her. The whistle's blowing like crazy. The rest of the team separates them.

"Hey!" Whitey shouts.

The referee shouts, "You two! You're out of here!"

"You're throwing them both out of the game?"

"I got to, Coach. I got things rolling." The referee runs off and Whitey watches angrily.

"They're on the same team!"

"Ow! Pain!" Jade sits on the ground, touching her foot, with Cat standing above her.

_**The Bus **_

The bus stops and Whitey stands up. "Beck Davenport! Chase Davenport! On your feet!" Beck and Chase stand up.

"Congratulations, boys. In all my years of coaching, this has got to be a low point. That little stunt you pulled almost cost us our undefeated record. I don't give diddlee-squat about your issues with your daddy or your girlfriends. As far as I'm concerned, you can hate each other until hell freezes over. But if you're going to play on my team, you're gonna learn how to work together."

"I can't see that happening, Whitey?"

"Yeah? Well you've got thirty-some-odd miles to figure it out."

When Beck and Chase are standing on the side of the road, the althletic bus leaves. "They can't just leave us here."

"Nice work, idiot."

"This is great. This is friggin' great."

"Calm down." Chase orders.

"You calm down, man. My phone's on that bus. My wallet's on that bus."

"Yeah, my wallet too!"

"So what the hell do we do now?"

"We start walking." For once, the two agree on something. They start walking.

_**Training Room **_

Cat's outside while someone looks at Jade's injured leg. "Ow, that's too tight." Jade says. A young man makes an adjustment to the cast.

"There. How's that?"

"Too loose." She pauses as he makes another adjustment. "Ow, that's too tight." She smiles flirtatiously at the man. "So you're in college, right?"

"I'm a junior."

"You know, I love college guys." Jade pauses. "In two more years, you'll be a doctor."

The man laughs, "Uh, not exactly."

"So tell me, Doctor College Boy. If you wanted to give me something for the pain, you could, right?"

"Well, the team doctor would have to…"

Jade adjusts so she's showing off her legs. "I could, I could maybe do that." Jade holds her hand out and the man opens a bottle of pills.

"Wait. You're not a cop, are you?"

Jade laughs, "No." The man hands her a pill.

"Well, and one for tomorrow… please."

"Okay, here's the thing. Those are really strong painkillers." Man turns around to get Jade water and she swallows both. "So just take, like, a half of one. Every twelve hours." The man turns back around with water."

"Oops! All gone!"

_**Road **_

Beck and Chase are walking "We wouldn't be out here if you never joined the team."

"No. We wouldn't be out here if you weren't such a jackass about me joining the team."

"Why do you want my life so bad anyway, man?"

"Dude, don't flatter yourself, alright? You're about the last person I want to trade places with."

"Oh yeah? Well all I know is you came out nowhere and started grabbing everything you could from me. My game, my girl…"

"What about you, huh? I bet your grades sucked before you met me. But I didn't see you going to Bree for help then."

"Who said what me and Bree's got is about grades." A car pulls up.

"Dingos! Hey Dingos!" The boys in the car shout and it stops in front of them "Want a ride?"

As Beck goes for it, Chase says, "I wouldn't take that ride if I was you."

"You're not me. You never will be." Beck walks over to the car and is pulled in. The car backs up to Chase.

"Two little Dingos for the price of one; get in or the superstar dies." Chase looks at the guys then walks over to the car.

_**Outside the Training Room **_

Bree walks down the hall where she spots Cat leaning against the wall. Cat hears footsteps coming her way and looks to see Bree walking over. She asks, "What are you still doing here?"

"I'm thinking of transferring." Bree responded. "What's your excuse?"

"Jade. She's been in there forever." Jade comes running clumsily down the hall, the college guy following behind her.

"Cat!" Jade shouts, giving her a hug.

"Oh boy." She mutters, getting a hold of Jade.

"Hi." The man greets them.

A clumsy and woozy Jade shouts, "This is my best friend in the whole wide world. Don't you think she's pretty?"

"What is this?" Cat asks the college guy.

"She found some pills...on the floor. She'll be fune. Just, uh, let her sleep it off!" He says and starts to walk away.

"Hey! Ooh, call me!" Jade shouts after him; she goes to chase after the man, but collapses into Bree's arms. Cat grabs her to make she doesn't fall over. As she helps Cat take Jade to Jade's car, Bree's supporting Jade as they walk outside.

"We should totally hang out me. What is your name?" Jade asked Bree.

"Bree..."

"Yeah, I don't like that name. Let's call you...Jade!" She shouts as Cat waits by the car. "Hi friend!" Cat grabs Jade as well and the two girls get her into the backseat of the car.

"Thanks." Cat thanks Bree.

"Sure. I'll see you guys later."

"Where's your ride?" Cat asked her.

"Oh. I'm going to take the last fan bus back."

"It just left."

"That's perfect!" Jade shouted. "Jadey can come with us!"

"Yeah, she named me Jade." Cat looks at her.

"Cat, can she come? Please? Cat, please!"

Cat tells Bree, "Just don't touch the stereo or we'll have a problem."

"Road trip." Jade throws up her pompoms. "We're going on a road trip. We're going on a road trip." Bree gets into the passenger's seat.

_**Car With Pirates **_

The car pulls to a stop and Beck says, "Alright. This is my stop. Thanks for the ride, fellas."

"This one's funny, Thing. Let's kill him last."

"Wait. Your name is Thing?"

"That's right. Thing."

"And I'm Thing One."

Chase turns to the guy next to Beck. "Okay, wait. Let me guess. You're Thing Two."

"I'm Thing Three, because I'm the third." Thing pulls out a gun.

"Whoa. Dude…" Beck says, alerted.

"Get your clothes off, boys. You're going shopping."

_**SPL Dinner **_

It's a fancy restaurant, and Donald and Karen sit down at a table.

"Oh, what do you know?" Donald asked. "We finally got the center aisle this year. Guy must've thought I said Doulgas Davenport."

"No. Douglas' table has one spot for Douglas and five for his ego." Douglas and Deb walk over.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this cozy?"

"Hey Karen." Deb greets her.

"Hi."

"Hi Deb..." Donald says. "Douglas." Douglas smiles uncomfortably and everyone follows.

_**Convenience Store/Restaurant **_

Beck and Chase walk into the store, shirtless and pantless, they still have their underwear on. Everyone looks at them, laughing. Chase consults a list.

He reads, "Hemorrhoid Ointment."

"Dude, this is total crap. These guys are morons, not killers. I bet it's not even a real gun."

"Let's just play the game, get our clothes, and get home. Okay. Ah, we need two bottles of spring feminine cleansers."

The store owner dials the phone as Beck mutters, "Oh, great, a pair of douche bags."

"A case of beer and we're out of here."

"What? How are we going to pull that off?"

"Would you card us?" Chase asked. Beck starts walking to the register. Chase turns to follow.

"I didn't think so." Lucas walks to the left of Beck and on their backs, Chase's says Dingos and Beck's says suck.

_**Jade's Car**_

Jade's hitting Cat with her pompoms as Cat tries to drive. "Jade! Come on…"

Jade throws the pompoms out the window, giggling and clapping. Then she leans over the front seat, looking at Bree and then Cat.

"Don't you two like the same guys? She pauses. "Or guy, or something?"

" I'm just tutoring him, that's all." Jade sits back in her seat]

"So you're not into him, because he seems to be into you." Jade's now looking out the back window.

"He gave her the nod!" Jade shouted.

"Just be careful."

"Well, what about you and Chase?"

"What about us?"

"Oh, come on. Tortured artist meets tortured athlete? Talk about your obvious attraction." The car beeps to signal lack of gas.

"I hear birds." Jade shouted.

"Unbelievable! Jade, did you not think to put gas in the car?"

Jade looks at Bree and says, "Answer the question Jade." The car stops. "Why are we stopping?"

_**Pirate Player's Car**_

The car's in the parking lot of the store. Thing looks through a bag. "Sweet. They scored the brew."

"Where's the porn?" Thing Three asks.

"Hey. You had your fun. Now give us back our clothes." Chase demands.

"Yeah, man, I'm done with these clowns. Hey, let's go somewhere and get wasted." Think One says.

"With no porno mags?"

"They didn't have Playgirl."

"Go back inside and get some hardcore." Thing Three orders. Suddenly, sirens are approaching.

Thing shouts, "Wait! Shut up! Listen!" They all hear the sirens and then see the cruiser.

"Come on, roll, roll, roll."

"Go, roll!" The car peels out of the parking lot.

"Come on, let's go, let's go, let's go. Move it! Let's go!

Minutes later, they've pulled over to a side and the cruiser goes by as they duck]

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, baby!"

"Yeah, yeah, right. Alright. Yahoo! Yeah, enough's enough. Give us our clothes." Chase says. Thing grabs his gun and points it at Chase

"Don't they say please in the suburbs?" Beck grabs the gun and points it at Thing.

"He said give us our clothes, you hick." The Things laugh.

"Can't you steal a fake gun in the suburbs?"

"That's great. It's a starter pistol. I knew this thing was fake." Beck states.

" Yeah, but our fists are real."

"Look. We'll give you guys your clothes back. We'll even give one of you a ride home."

"Yeah. What do you mean by one of us?" Chase asked.

_**Outside the Pirate's car in the Woods **_

The Things are leaning against the car and BECK and Chase are standing opposite them.

"The game is Gladiator." Thing starts to explain. "Basically, you guys beat the hell out of each other for our amusement. The one left standing gets his clothes and a ride to a phone. The loser… well he loses."

Thing Three speaks, "Let the games begin."

He holds up a beer and Chase and BECK stare at each other. "Okay, the game isn't called two punks staring at each other. It's called Gladiator. Get to it."

" Alright, you can screw yourself, because there's no way in hell that the two of us are going to fight. Beck charges Chase.

"Or maybe we are." Chase attacks Beck.

_**The Woods**_

Beck and Chase are still fighting. "This is great. Not only do I get to kick your ass but you get 30 miles to think about it." Beck throws Chase against the car.

"What the hell are you doing, man? We should be fighting them."

"You want it?"

"Yeah." Beck grabs the keys from the car.

"Oh!" The Things shout.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Thing shouts.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Pickerington morons."

"Give us the keys."

"Give us our clothes." Chase demands again. Thing throws Chase a sock.

"Fine."

"You guys wanna play games, huh? I've got a little game for you. It's called keys for clothes. You give us a piece of our clothes, we'll give you a key."

"No deal."

"Fine. We were walking anyways." Beck starts to throw the keys.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait."

"We'll deal." Thing One speaks.

Thing says, "Forget it. I want to walk home."

"It's dark." Thing Three states.

"Man, seriously."

"Fine. Give him his sweats."

"That's worth a house key." Chase responds. Beck throws a key.

"Hey, keep them coming."

_**Jade's Car**_

Cat gets out of the phone with her cell. "There's no signal." Cat states. "Who lives like this?"

"Pop the trunk, will you?" Bree asks.

"Cat, don't listen to it. It might be a trick." Cat pops the trunk and Bree looks inside.

"Yeah, it's empty. I saw a gas station a few miles back. If I'm not back in an hour, tell my mom I loved her?"

"Don't you mean Beck?" Jade shouts, laughing.

"I'll go with you." Cat says.

"What about me?" Jade asks. Jade's back in the car and Cat locks the doors. As Cat and Haley walk away, Jade's yelling. "I could suffocate in here. Guys!"

"You did crack a window, right?" Bree asks. Cat laughs.

"Guys! Come on! I'm scared! Please! Come on, you guys. Don't go! Someone will come!" Jade shouts as Cat and Bree walk off.

_**SPL DINNER **_

Another couple's now sittign with Donald, Kaaren, Douglas, and Deb. "Davenport Motor Company's been reaching a lead in new car sales for the past six years. Pretty soon we'll be the top dealership in North Carolina." Douglas announces.

A man points between Douglas and Donald. "So you two are in business together?"

"Uh, no, I own the company. Uh, Donald runs a garge."

"I fix the junk that he sells." Donald states. The other couple laughs.

"Alright. Let's give credit where credit's due. Big brother here has been thinking with cars for years. If it wasn't for his influence and, uh, lack of initiative, I may never have been able to realize my dream."

"Hmm, was it really my influence, Douglas? Because I thought it was Deb's money that bankrolled your dream."

Douglas laughs and everyone else looks around uncomfortably.

"True. Deb's father took a leap of faith with me. Of course, I returned his investment ten-fold. And every good business man knows it's a long road from seed money…"

"To profit."

"To profits, exactly."

"Amen to that." The man responds.

"So Donald. You talk about being a self-made man but… self-made into what?"

"Excuse me." Donald gets up and leaves. Karen and Deb look at Douglas.

_**Woods**_

Beck holds up a key. "This is the last key. You got one thing left."

"Give us the car key and we'll give you the shirt."

"I can live without my shirt." Beck throws the key into the woods.

"Oh man, no!" The things shout.

"Have fun walking." Beck says before he and Chase run off.

"Just find the key..." Thing orders. "We're gonna kill those guys."

_**Bree and Cat**_

"What did you mean before? About Beck when you said before?" Bree asked.

"I just know him, that's all."

"Said the ex-girlfriend..."

"Look, we were crazy with drama but I'm over it. He's not a complete waste. He just- he's really threatened by Chase. It could all just be a big mind game. That's how he works." Cat pauses. "Do you like him?

"I was- talk about stuff, you know what I mean?"

"Like what?"

"Like school or… his dad."

"Oh. Douglas. Douglas sure did a number on his boy, right?"

"Yeah, both of them."

"So you didn't answer my question. Do you like him?"

"It- it doesn't matter. I mean, that… it would be too weird around Chase."

"That's his problem. You've got a life to live too." Cat says.

"It just seems kind of selfish."

"Why?" Cat asked. "Did he ask you if he could go out with me?

"Did he ask you out?"

"No." They laugh "That's not the point. No. He wouldn't ask permission. So why should you?"

"Would you say yes if he asked you out?"

"It depends. What song is playing… am I in a mood… is he smiling when he asks or is he doing that goofy brooding thing he does?"

"Oh, you know I think he's definitely doing the broody thing."

"He does that all the time!"

"It's strange. Just…the night away from school. It feels like you and I actually live on the same planet."

"Life plays trick on you like that."

"Mmm." They continue to walk.

_**SPL Dinner **_

Donald's sitting alone and Deb walks over to him. "Can I bankroll another drink for you?" Deb asks.

"I'm sorry about that." Donald paused. "I, uh, I shouldn't have dragged you into it. Sometimes my little brother has a way of getting to me…"

"He has a gift."

"Yeah."

"You know, um, you and Karen really go nicely together."

"I don't think she sees me that way."

"Hmm. How do you see her?"

"She's amazing. She's strong, she's beautiful and uh, you know, she's a great mother to Chase."

"So…"

"A relationship would just complicate things. What about you, Deb? Tonight was just part of the course with him. And, uh, I know it's none of my business but why are you…"

"Why do I stay with him?"

"Yeah..."

"It's okay. Uh, believe it or not, some days he's the man I fell in love with and other days… I don't know. Besides, if you've got Chase to consider, I've certainly got Beck." Deb pauses. "Come on. Let's go rescue Karen."

"Yeah." Donald and Deb both get up]

_**The Woods **_

Beck and Chase are hiding within hearing distance of the Things.

"_Alright, it's a blue key chain." Thing says. _

"_Dude, look over here moron. Is that blue?"_

"_Are you color blind?"_

"I can't believe you sucker punched me." Chase whispered

"I had to. It got us outta there, didn't it?" Chase takes off his sweatshirt and hands it to Beck.

"Here."

Beck puts on the sweatshirt.

"So what's your master plan, genius? Huh? You gonna hotwire the car?" Chase asked.

"Actually, we're not gonna have to. Those idiots are gonna flip out when they find a key chain with no car key." Beck holds up the key.

_**Gas Station**_

Cat and Bree look in the door. It's dark]

CAT: Great, and no phone. What are we going to do?

Bree looks around and sees a pickup truck.

_**The Woods **_

"So we'll get the car, we'll drive into town, we'll find a phone, and we'll ditch it." Nathan explains.

"Wait, what if they report it stolen?"

"Well I kinda think that the cops got the license plate number earlier, don't you?"

"Yes, but they didn't see who was driving that car. I mean, think about it, if they pull us over they can pin everything on us."

"What if we sit here and we talk about it all night, huh? Got any better ideas?"

"I'll drive." Chase offers, resigned.

"No. I'll drive." They take off toward the car and BECK starts it.

"Whoa, whoa!" Thing shouts.

Shouting back, Beck says, "Pickerington sucks!" The car turns out to be stuck in the mud.

"_Oh yeah, oh! They aren't going anywhere. Let's go get them, boys!" _

Beck and Chase look at each other. "Bail."

"Bail!" They jump out of the car and start to run.

"_We're gonna pluck you, Dingos!" _

"_Hey, I've still got your shirt!"_

"_Shut up! They can run but they can't hide!" _

**Gas Station **

Bree and Cat reach the truck. "Oh yes!" Bree shouts.

"So what are you doing?"

"Um…here, hold this." Bree hands Cat a pocketknife.

"Or you'll stab me?"

"A girl can't be too safe." Bree paused. "Here, try and get that gas cap open, will you?"

"Does this really work?"

"We are about to find out." Bree inserts a tube into the gas tank and starts sucking the gas.

"Had a lot of practice?" Cat asked. Bree looks at her.

"At sucking gas. What did you think I meant?"

"You wanna do it?"

"Watch out for the golf ball." Bree moves back as the gas starts to come out.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Bree paused. "Oh, yeah."

"Are you kidding?"

Bree looks up, grinning.

"Dude, who knew you were like the 4th Charlie's Angel?" Both girls laugh.

_**The Woods **_

The Things are driving around, shouting, "Oh Dingos! Come out and play."

"They're still out there." Chase states.

"They'll get bored eventually."

"So that was a pretty good move with the car keys."

"Yeah. It doesn't change the fact that my dad's gonna kill me for getting kicked out of that game." Chase looks at him but looks away quickly. "You should consider yourself lucky sometimes."

"Lucking out of a dad?"

"At least this one." Beck paused. "I remember this one summer, I was playing little league baseball and I was the pitcher and my dad was the coach. Anyway, this kid Billy Lyons, he was a great hitter. Everything he hit was a homerun. So, you know, he got up to the plate and there was nobody on base so I just walked him. Four straight pitches, nothing even close to a strike. So my dad calls a timeout, comes to the mound, and I'm thinking he's gonna say like, Smart move or Good thinking son, something like that. But instead... instead he grabs me by the arm, and he kicks me in the ass as hard as he can. I mean, he literally took me by the arm so that I wouldn't like, go flying, he kicked me so hard. Then he brought Stevie Planking into pitch, sat me on the bench, never mentioned it again.

"That sucks."

"Yeah. So just think about that the next time you're feeling sorry for yourself."

_**SPL DINNER **_

Douglas' on his phone, "I haven't heard from you, Beck. I'm starting to get nervous. Uh… just call and leave your stats on my phone as soon as you get this."

Donald and Deb walk over.

"Are you okay?" Karen asks Donald.

"Yup, just a little bit hammered."

"Sorry, Karen. It was my fault."

Deb looks at Douglas.

"What?"

"I thought we said no basketball."

"What do you want from me, Deb? You leave me here with Karen and these two?"

Douglas looks at Donald, who's taking a sip of wine.

"How you doing, boozy?" Douglas asks. Donald starts laughing

"Alright, you know what? I'm ready to go."

"Oh, there, see. Your ride's leaving. I mean, she may not be much of a date but at least she's a reliable designated driver."

"Douglas, that's enough."

"You know, maybe you ought spend a little less time worrying about my relationship and a little more time paying attention to your own."

Douglas leans over the table and says, "If you call chasing after my leftovers a relationship." Donald jumps out of his chair and tries to punch Douglas who jumps out of the way. Donald falls into a table.

"Donald! Donald! It's not worth it." Karen shouts.

"Come on!"

"Donald! Come on, come on. Please? Let's just go, alright?"

"Okay, I'm fine."

"It was a joke."

"Come on, please."

Deb glares at Douglas.

_**Jade's Car **_

Cat and Bree have just gotten back and Bree's refilling the gas tank. Cat's in the driver's seat. Cat turns around to see Jade passed out across the back seat, her bloomers showing. She starts laughing as does Bree.

_**The Woods **_

"Man, it's been like, what? Twenty minutes? Think they're coming back?" Chase asks. Beck starts laughing. "What?"

"Thing, Thing One, and Thing Three..."

Chase laughs.

"Well, yeah man, he was the third."

"Yeah."

"Hey. What are we doing hiding from these idiots anyway, huh? Look, I can hold my own. And I know that you could throw a pretty damn good punch." Chase paused. "I say let's take these fools on."

"Alright. I'm in for that." Beck and Chase jump up.

_**SPL DINNER **_

Douglas' sitting alone at a table, drinking, when Deb comes up behind him and sits across from him,

"Are you gonna stay down here all night?" Deb asked.

"I made a call. Beck got thrown out of the game tonight for fighting with Chase."

"Fighting with his brother; hmm, I wonder where he gets that from."

"His phone's turned off. No one's answering at home."

"But he's okay?" Douglas doesn't know.

"I'm sorry about tonight, Deb. I don't know how things got so out of hand."

"Things didn't get out of hand, Douglas. You did."

"He threw the first punch."

"You provoked him."

"Beck's prospects took a huge blow tonight. Can we just focus on him?

"That's the wrong answer, Douglas. And if you don't know that, I'm not sure I know you anymore."

"Well that's a two way street."

"I'm gonna go upstairs and pack. We should go home." Deb gets up and leaves Douglas sitting there.

_**Jade's Car**_

Bree's waving her hand to the music. Cat looks ubër-serious and Jade's still passed out.

"He cares about you, you know?" Bree asks.

"Yeah." Cat pauses. "We need some music." Cat leans toward the radio as the car veers off the road.

"Cat!" Bree grabs the wheel when Cat leans to the radio. The car goes back onto the road and Jade jumps up.

"I'm sorry..."

"Where the hell are we?" Jade asked.

"We're miles from normal." Bree answered.

"What is she doing here?" She asks Cat about Bree.

"You invited her!" Cat and Bree laugh, but Jade just looks confused. Cat turns the radio on and Jade grabs her head in pain.

"Ow!" Jade groans. Bree and Cat laugh.

_**Karen's House **_

Donald's lying on the couch and Karen walks over with a cloth and places it on his head. "I cannot believe I let him get to me." says Donald.

"So did I. I guess we both should know better by now."

"Yeah, but even so...you should be able to count on me; it's like I can see that guy that I am in my head and I can see the guy that I want to be and they're just...it's not the same."

"That's okay, Don. I like who you are and I do count on you more than you know." Karen hesitated before asking him a question. "Can I tell you secret?"

"Sure."

"Chase called tonight a date for us." Donald laughs. "And for a while, I pretended that it was. And it felt good."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Donald asks, half asleep.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"I pretended that too." Karen smiles.

"I love you." The smile disappears. "I always have." He says. Karen stares at him.

_**Jade's Car**_

Music playing loudly, Cat and Bree are laughing and the song ends. "Nice. What's next?'

"Uh, you pick." Jade gives Cat a weird look.

"Alright." Bree reaches toward the radio.

"This is so tragic." Jade says. "You two don't actually think you're going to be friends tomorrow, do you?" Jade leans forward as Cat and Bree lose their smiles.

_**Road**_

Beck and Lucasa are walking down a road. "So this Bree thing...you know, for some reason, she feels like you're not full of crap. Don't take advantage of that."

"I'm not going to." Beck responds.

"I know you're not, because if you do, you're going to live to regret it."

"Bring it on." Beck paused. "Hey, listen. Look, man, you didn't have to get in that car when those guys grabbed me, especially after you warned me not to."

"Right, whatever. You know the way I see it, I mean, if they would've taken you out, who the hell else am I gonna have to fight with, right?"

"Same person I have." Beck turns around and starts walking with Chase following. They hear a car.

"Car." Chase paused. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Beck responds.

"Let's do it." They stand side by side in the street as the car approaches. It stops.

"Bree and Cat."

_**Jade's Car**_

"Oh my gosh, Beck with Chase?" Bree asks in disbelief. They allow Beck and Chase to get in and as Cat drives away, Beck and Chase are now sitting on either side of Jade.

_**Next Day at Mission Creek **_

Bree sees Cat and Jade and smiles. They don't respond. Cat looks at Bree but doesn't wave or anything. Bree walks away and Cat looks away.

"_As happens sometimes a moment settled...and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped...for much, much more than a moment...and then the moment was gone." - Lucas Scott _


	7. Life in a Glass House

_Chapter 7 - Life in a Glass House _

_**Mission Creek High **_

Jade and Cat are walking down stairs, side by side. Jade is trying to remember what happened the night before. "All I remember is you, me and Tutor Girl in my car, and then Chase and Beck, and you said something being into Chase but it could've been Beck, and I need to know."

"Need?" Cat asked.

Jade responds, "Two of them, two of us, plenty of fine Davenport boys to go around, and your courtesy hold on Chase has expired. And you and Beck were so...interesting together. Plus, we could still trade off once in a while...or twice. It's a win-win."

"They walk up to Chase's table where he is listening to music and reading a book. He takes off his earphones and puts the book down when they walk up.

"Hey, broody." Jade greets him.

"Hey, cheer...Cat." He replied.

"So, I'll see you at practice?" Jade asked Cat.

"As always."

"Yeah, you too." Jade walks away and Cat sits down.

"So, what's the deal? Are we gonna hang out at this annual Davenport money burn or what?"

"Yeah, right, like I'm gonna spend the night with Beck and Douglas on my Friday off? I don't think so. I'd rather stay home with "The Great Gatsby." Chase responded.

"You know, I read a book last night."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's about this girl and this guy, and they've got this really weird vibe going on, but there's all this drama, because the girl's got this ex-boyfriend who turns out to be none other than the guy's brother. So the whole thing comes to this great, big climax and this big party at their evil dad's house."

"Really, hmm...what happens in the end?"

"You're just gonna have to show up to find out." Cat says. She walks away and Chase sighs.

_**Tutoring Center**_

Beck and Bree are sitting at a table studying when Beck gets frustrated. "This is so stupid. What...why do you have to study history anyway?" Beck asked, looking at Bree.

"So we're not doomed to repeat it."

Beck chuckles, "What?

Bree laughs. "Look, don't lose hope, okay? Tomorrow's a teacher's work day so you've got a three-day weekend to study."

"Minus my dad's annual kiss-his-but jamboree; Hey, I would invite you, Bree, but it's kind of a b-ball crowd."

"Oh, please, come on, like I want to kiss your dad's butt anyway." She laughs.

"Yeah."

"I made you a study guide. And, everything you need to ace your history exam." She hands him the metal box. "Right tin this little box of tricks here are NODOZ, eye drops, and number-two pencils."

"Why don't you just text message me the answers?"

"Oh! No." Bree stands up and puts on her side bag. "So, um, just give me a call if you need anything, okay? Thanks for cutting Chase some slack."

"A deal's a deal, right?"

"Right." She responds, walking away.

_**Karen's Café **_

Karen pours some coffee into a mug while Donald reads the paper. "Anything worth sharing?" Karen asks.

"Hmm, sorry, what?" Donald didn't hear her.

"Is it there anything worth sharing in the paper?"

"Oh. Um, the Tar Heels won."

"Oh Deb." Karen says, seeing Deb walking into the café.

"Hi, Karen."

"Hey." Donald greets her.

"Um," Deb hesitates to say what she needs to say. "I never heard from both of you about Douglas' party tomorrow for the team sponsors."

"For some reason, when I think of Douglas, I just don't think of the word party." Donald admits.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Deb. I have the invitation here. I was thinking about going, but after everything that happened last week..."

"Yeah that's..." Deb pauses. "That's what I was afraid of. Douglas feels horrible about that...believe or not."

"Not." Donald says.

Deb chuckles, "And so do I. Anyway, it would mean a lot if you could both come. It starts at three, but, uh, stop by anytime. See you."

"See you, Deb. Thanks." Deb walks out of the café and Donald turns back to Karen.

"You know what?" Karen asks. "I think Deb's right. We're not living in some 1950s movie. I am the single mother of a player on the team. I don't need to skulk around this town in a head scarf and dark glasses.

"Well, you're never going to get Chase to go." Donald stated.

"Oh...even if you're going, too?"

"Oh, not a chance; Besides, I don't want things to be any weirder than they need to be."

"Weirder how?"

"Well, you know, after dinner the other night, I said some pretty crazy things."

Karen inhales, "No, I don't remember anything crazy. I'm gonna go. Let me know if you change your mind.

"Okay." Donald responds.

"Mm-hmm." Karen walks away. Donald chuckles and drinks his coffee.

_**Science Classroom **_

The class is watching a slide-show on the overhead while taking notes. Cat is in the front row, Beck behind her and Jade behind Beck. "Okay, guys, listen up. Now, you'll all want to pay close attention to this next batch of slides. We'll be discussing them following the side show and, uh, I also have a feeling that this material may find its way onto your next quiz, so..."

Draining out the teacher's voice, Jade leans forward to Beck and whispers, "How are you, Beck?"

"I'm bored." He whispered back.

"And lonely, right?" Jade asked. "Just a smidge of loneliness."

"Jade, whatever drugs you're on, save them for the party, okay?"

"Ah, "the party." Guess who's coming with me, and I'll tell you Cat." Jade whispered.

"Whatever; she's off my radar, and apparently, I'm off hers too."

"That was pot Cat. She's totally back on track, and I think the new "old Cat" would be open to discussing reconciliation."

"Did she tell you that?"

"She tells me everything."

"What are you up to, Jade?" He asked.

"What? I just want to see the two people that are perfect for each other back together. Is that a crime?" Beck looks forward at Cat, who turns around after looking at Beck for a second. Jade smiles at them.

_**Locker Room **_

The team is in there getting changed for practice when Robbie walks in and over to his locker. "Sorry, I'm late, coach." Robbie apologizes.

"Why should today be any different, Shapiro? Move your butt. The rest of you ladies start defense drills pronto!" Whitey walks out.

"Why is coach so easy on you, Shapiro?" Beck asked.

"Baumgartner got wind sprints."

"We party together."

"Maybe they're lovers." Tim jokes.

"Why, did you two break up?" Beck, Tim and one other guy walk out to the gym.

"So, anyway, man, what's the deal?" Chase asked, walking over. "What's going on? You know, you're out sick all the time, and you come in late and cut out early. I don't understand; Coach just lets you."

"He's just helping me out." Robbie responds, getting changed.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he's just helping me out."

"Alright..." Chase walks toward the door but first pats Robbie on the back and continues to the gym. Robbie leans against his locker and sighs.

_**School Parking Lot **_

Cat walks over to her car, puts her bag in and gets inside. She puts the key in the ignition and starts to back out, suddenly stopping just before crashing into Bree.

"Whoa!" Bree shouts. "I'm walking here."

"God, I'm sorry." Cat apologized.

"It's not like you weren't aiming." Bree chuckles, going to Cat's side to talk to her.

"You're not on that list." She says. "You need a ride somewhere?" Cat offered.

"Um..."

"Come on, get in."

Bree walks to the passenger side, "I guess it's better to be in your car than under it." She gets inside.

"So, I'm not really good at this."

"Yeah, obviously you're gonna want to put that in gear and give it a little gas." Bree laughs.

"No, I meant...I mean the whole not-being-defensive thing."

"Okay." Bree is suddenly confused.

"Last week in Jade's car, you said he cares about you, and I was trying really hard to be cool, and I didn't ask, um, whether you mean Beck or Chase."

"And now you're asking?"

"In a pathetic kind of way, yeah..."

"I'm not gonna be much help. I guess I mean both of them." Bree chuckles.

"Look, it's not like you need my permission or anything, but if you like, Beck, it's totally cool. Just be careful."

"Be careful. Yes, I know. You told me."

"Okay."

"You be careful, too."

"With which one?"

"Driving; my mother likes it when I get home alive." Bree answers. "Let's go."

Cat chuckles as she backs the car out of her parking spot.

_**Karen's Café **_

Chase walks in. Karen and Donald are at the counter. "Hey mom, Donald." He greets them, setting a tux jacket on the counter. "This doesn't fit anymore. I need a new jacket. UH, I think I'm going to this thing tomorrow.

"What changed your mind?" Karen asked. Donald looks over at Chase with a knowing smile on his face.

"Well, I don't know...I mean, nothing really."

"Well, we'll, uh, go to Vietti's first thing to get you a new jacket."

"Aright. Thanks, mom. See you, Donald." Chase walks out.

"See you, Chase." Donald calls after him. Karen turns to Donald and asks him a question.

"A girl?"

"What else?"

"Hmm, well, I guess I'm gonna have to go to this thing then."

"You? I thought you already had your mind made up. Did you get cold feet?"

"Like ice. Something about stepping directly into the Lion's Den."

"Oh...okay, you talked me into it." Donald grabs the paper bag.

"Just promise me you won't punch him unless I ask you real nice." Karen responds.

Donald sighs, "Okay."

"Enjoy." She says as Donald walks out the door.

"Bye-bye."

_**Cat's Bedroom the Next Day **_

Cat puts on dark red lipstick as Jade looks over at her. "Haven't you heard Goth is the new geek?" Jade asks, tossing Cat a tube of gloss. "Tonight's gonna be killer. You and Beck, me and Chase, an open bar."

"There is no me and Beck, or you and Chase, for that matter." Cat puts on gloss.

"Well, for now there isn't. You know Beck loves the idea that you're coming tonight." Jade walks over to her.

Cat hands back the gloss. "How do you know that?"

"Because he told me he's still hot for you; he was actually very sweet about it."

"Beck Oliver?"

Jade walks back over to the mirror. "You know you two were meant to be together."

"That's a scary thought."

_**Chase's Bedroom **_

Chase walks up to the mirror, trying to straighten his tie. Bree runs up the steps and starts to tap on the door of his bedroom that leads to the outside, making it very easy for him to sneak out.

"Bree?" He asks as Bree walks inside. "What are you doing here?" He asks, closing the door.

"First, I am saving you from that tie." She takes off her jacket and sighs. "Second...we need to talk."

"Well, could we do both at the same time.

"Yeah." Bree turns around to look at the ties and eventually chooses a black one as Chase takes off the other one. Bree is very uncomfortable.

"Uh, okay, you're not gonna like this. In fact...you're gonna hate this." Bree ties the tie. "But I feel that I should tell you in the interest of full friendship disclosure."

Chase chuckles, "Yeah, right, what could be worse than you tutoring Beck, right?" Bree looks up at him and sighs. Chase realizes what she's talking about and stops smiling. "You like him."

"Chase, do not freak out on me, okay? I can't help it any more than you can."

"I don't like him!" Chase shouts.

"I'm talking about you and Cat. We don't decide who we like. We just...it happens.

Angrily, Chase asks, "Do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"I...I'm not getting myself into anything. I am thinking about maybe getting into something that is never gonna happen anyway, so..."

Chase cuts her off, "What could you possibly like in the guy, huh?"

"Different stuff. We connect. Yes, he can be a total jerk sometimes..." Bree walks over to him. "But I'm telling you, it's just a defense mechanism. He really opens up with me, Chase."

"You know how I feel about him."

"And I'm sorry for that, I am."

"But I get it, alright? I understand." Chase sighs.

"Okay." Bree sighs.

"Just do I a favor, okay? I just..."

"Be careful?" She sighs. "I wish everybody would stop saying that."

_**Beck's House **_

Douglas is talking to the bartender for the party. "Three fingers of whiskey, just a whisper of sweet vermouth, and a splash of bitters, a crush cherry, and a perfect Manhattan.

"Oh, so that's how you like it?" Laurie, the bartender, asks.

"Well that's one way I like it." He responded, getting a laugh out of Laurie.

"Excuse us." Deb walks up and grabs Douglas' arm. Deb and Douglas walk out of earshot from the girl. "She's young enough to be your daughter, and in this town, she might just be."

"Ouch."

"Sorry, couldn't resist. I spoke with Karen yesterday. She might be coming with Chase and Donald."

"They had to know the invitation was just a formality."

"Mm, until I invited them in person." Deb fixes his tie.

"Deb, you know how important this party is for me."

"Oh, I thought this part was for the team."

Douglas responds, "So you go behind my back and turn into my worst nightmare."

"Oh, no, Douglas, your worst nightmare is what'll happen if they show up and you do anything to make them feel uncomfortable in our home." Deb straightens out Douglas' jacket and walks away.

Outside, Chase, Donald and Karen get out of their car and begin walking up the pathway to the front door. "Hey, guys, maybe we should have a signal." Chase suggests. "You know, in case one of us wants to leave."

"Maybe we should just leave." Donald responds.

"Oh, come on. That's no fun. How about woof as the signal?" Chase mimics a barking dog.

"Woof?"

"Yeah, you know, like a Dingo. Woof!"

"Woof!"

Chase chuckles, "That's the spirit. So, when one of us wants to leave, we just woof."

"Woof!"

"Woof!" Donald hesitates. Chase laughs and pats Donald on the back as they walk up the steps.

"You ready, mom?" Chase sighs.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Chase rings the doorbell and they wait. "You know, maybe the best plan is to just avoid him all night, and then that way..." Karen gets cut off by Douglas opening the door.

"Come on in." Douglas smiles.

_**Beck's Backyard**_

Douglas stands on the porch giving a speech as the crowd quietly listens. Cat and Chase give each other small smiles."

"Sprit; the vital principle and animating force within every human being. Of course, for some of you, spirit simply means alcoholic beverages." Douglas speaks. There's laughter as he continues. "But this Dingos basketball team has a surplus of spirit. It's an incredible team with an incredible group of men. Except for their crushing defeat by the fathers this year, this team has been on a roll. Well..."

"Oh, it is so on tonight." Jade tells Cat as she stands next to her and listens to Douglas continue.

"...my lovely life for setting up this party. Look at this, please. But Dingos team spirit also includes the parents and the local businesses, whose financial support make this team great. Tonight's for you. Enjoy!"

"And here's to our host, Douglas Davenport!" Shari shouts.

"My parents are such suck-ups." Tim tells Beck. "So, what public humiliation you got planned for "Pukase" tonight?"

"Nothing, Tim." Beck sighs. "It's a little played out, don't you think?"

"Since when?" Tim asks.

Over by the refreshment table, Douglas walks up to Whitey. "You had a little sin of omission in your speech, Dougie boy."

"Didn't I mention the coaching staff?" Douglas asked.

"If you did, I didn't hear it." Whitey hands him a bowl. "Here. You're out of cashews." Whitey smiles and walks away as Douglas shakes his head and puts the bowl down.

Tim walks up behind Jade and Cat. "I'm gonna grab a drink at the bar before it fills up." Jade informs Cat. "You go talk to Beck. See how he's been looking at you." Jade walks away, followed by a laughing Tim. Cat looks over at Chase and they give each other flirty smiles. Beck sighs and backs off.

_**With Jade and Tim **_

Jade and Tim walk over to the bar. Tim is saying, "They're never gonna serve you."

"Watch and learn. Bartenders love me." Jade clears her throat.

Laurie pops up and rolls her eyes at them. "Soda or juice?"

"Actually, I was gonna ask if you knew how to make a screaming orgasm."

Laurie laughs, "For a pretty girl like you, sure." Jade laughs and smiles.

As she is making the drink, Laurie asks, "So, what is this thing tonight?"

"Dingos basketball."

"Oh. And what position do you play?"

Tim laughs as Jade responds, "Cheerleader."

"Jocks and cheerleaders. There are lots of hormones tonight." Laurie hands Jade the drink. "Don't go around advertising.

"Secret's safe with me." Jade walks away and Tim leans up on the counter.

"I'll have what she's having."

"Right. Soda or juice?" Laurie laughs. Tim sighs and walks away as Laurie rolls her eyes. Karen and Donald walk up to the bar.

"You would think that after 20 years, your brother's ego would cease to amaze me."

"Try a lifetime."

Karen chuckles then turns to Laurie. "Hi. I'll take a white wine, please."

"I'll have club soda."

"Hey, Laurie, pour me a double shot of your best top-shelf bourbon, would you, please?"

Laurie laughs. "Hello, Donald." Whitey greets him.

"Hey, Whitey."

"Well, Karen Roe. Look at you."

"Coach Durham."

Whitey chuckles. "Most grown-ups call me Whitey. It's good to see you coming 'round again. Seeing you in my gym really turns back the clock."

Karen smiles, "For me, too."

"Well, in my humble opinion, you have raised a fine son. You should be proud, and not just of the boy." Whitey smiles and walks away

"Thank you."

_**Beck's House **_

Chase walks down the hallway and stops when he sees Cat. They give each other nods, telling the other to come over there. Robbie walks up behind Chase and he turns around. "You know, there are some states that could arrest you for what you're thinking about right now." Robbie jokes.

Chase laughs, "How are you doing, Robbie?" They smack hands as Jade walks up.

"I'm good." Robbie answers. "You do your thing, man." Chase turns to go over to Cat, but Jade stops him.

"Hey, Robbie, Chase; the two handsome boys for the price of one." Jade greets them. "Where are you going? I haven't had the chance to invite you to the real party. It's at my place, later. I'm only inviting the cool people, but I guess you can come." She turns to Robbie. "You too, Robbie."

"Oh, thanks, Jade, but I gotta cut out early tonight."

Chase remarks, "Oh, like that's a surprise."

"Obligations, man. I'll see you, Chase."

"Take care, man."

"Alright, Jade. Just go easy, okay?" Robbie walks away.

Jade turns back to Chase. "Obligations? What is his deal?"

"Look, I don't know. Could you just excuse me?"

"Well, I was gonna say, my parents usually close this play down every year, so if you wanted, we could go back to my place and start the party. We have a Jacuzzi."

"That sounds tempting, Jade..."

"We have a naked me in a Jacuzzi." Jade cuts him off.

"Okay. Um, what if I told you there was someone else?"

"Normally, I'd suggest a threesome, but I think the person you have in mind is getting back together with her old boyfriend." Jade says. Chase looks over at Cat, who is now talking to Beck.

_**Beck and Cat**_

"So, uh, did you get my messages?" Beck asked.

"Yeah, I got all of them."

"I don't blame you for not calling me back."

"Are you being self-deprecating?"

"Probably...if I knew what that meant." Cat laughs. "Do you want to, uh...do you want to go somewhere and talk. Just to talk, Cat."

Cat looks over at Chase and Jade. Jade is laughing and smiling. Cat nods, "Just to talk."

Cat and Beck walk away and Chase turns back to Jade. "See what I mean?" Jade asked him. Chase looks upset and walks away. Jade looks over at him and back over to where Cat and Beck were standing and smiles.

Cat and Beck walk past Shari. Karen comes out of the bathroom and Shari stops her to talk. "Karen Roe is in Douglas Davenport's house with Donald Davenport as her date." Shari laughs. Karen just rolls her eyes.

"Nothing gets past you, Shari. Well, Donald and I are just friends."

"Oh, of course you are. Um, one Davenport brother to the next, you practically need a scorecard around here to keep up with you people." Shari continues. Deb rounds the corner to see Karen and Shari talking. To save Karen, she walks up to them.

"Karen, there you are. I need your expert opinion in the kitchen. Excuse us, Shari."

"Oh, yeah. Sure."

"You're lucky she didn't knee you." Deb mutters, walking away with Karen.

_**Beck's Bedroom **_

Beck and Cat walk in and Beck leans up against his dresser while Cat sits down on the bed. "So," Beck starts up the conversation. "I see you smiling at school a lot. That's good."

"You've been looking?" She asks.

"Yeah, sometimes." He responds. Cat smiles. "Anyway, uh...Look, I don't know if Jade is just playing games or what, but she said you were into us getting back together."

"That's funny. She told me the same thing."

Beck sighs, "Right. Look, the thing is..." They get cut off by Jade and Tim walking into the room laughing. They stop when they see Cat and Beck.

Jade gasps, "Oh. Sorry. We'll come back."

"But there's vodka in the drawer." Tim complains.

"Tim, later; these two need some space."

"You know what, Jade?" Cat asks. "Give it up."

"Trust me, I'm trying."

"You know what I mean."

"I'm just trying to help."

"Help with what?" She asked. "Get me out of the way so you can go embarrass yourself in front of Chase?"

"That's funny. I didn't realize you were in my way. Are finally fessing up or are you finally denying it?" Jade asked. Cat doesn't look like she knows what to say. She looks guiltily over at Beck and walks out of the room.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Jade?" Beck asks, following Cat out of the room and so does Tim.

Jade scoffs and walks over to Beck's drawer and opens it up. She pulls out a bottle of vodka and notices the metal box that Bree had given to Beck. She pulls it out and puts down the vodka. She opens the box and pulls out a pink envelope and opens it. The card has a big "B" in the middle. She opens the card and inside it says:

"_Believing you will do well is half the battle..." - Call me if you need anything at all! - Bree_

Jade smiles at this, in disbelief. She looks over at the door and back at the card.

_**Davenport Kitchen **_

"This is a very nice kitchen." Karen compliments as she and Deb walk into the kitchen.

"Oh, thanks. I'm afraid it's wasted on me. Where did you learn to cook?" Deb asked.

"Oh, books, trial and error, a lot of burnt casseroles. And I get to experiment a lot at the café."

"Oh, I'll have to eat there sometime." Deb responds. "Don't worry, I'll come alone."

The caterer walks in and walks over to the counter. "Hi. There's been a mix-up. The baker seems to have delivered the cakes at a bar mitzvah in Charlotte."

"You know, I have a lot of desserts at the café." Karen offers. "I'd be happy to contribute."

"Oh no, I don't want to put you to that trouble."

"No, no. It's not trouble. I'll call Bree."

"Bree? Um...is she a tutor, by any chance?"

"Yeah, she is. Why?" Karen asks.

"Oh, no, it's a small world. She must be the girl who's helping Beck."

"Oh. She must be."

_**Davenport Backyard **_

The sun has gone down and a bunch of team members shoot some hoops as Chase stands by and watches with a lipstick smudge on his cheek. Cat walks up to him.

"I haven't seen you much today." Cat says.

"Yeah, I know. Every time I get within about five feet of you..."

"Jade happens." Cat finishes for him.

"...or Beck." Chase adds.

"Loose ends; those are all tied up now." Cat notices the smudge and tries to get it off. "It looks like she got you right there."

Jade walks up. She's drunk. "Listen up, everybody! It's time to play truth or dare. Or maybe just dare, because nobody really tells the truth anymore." Jade looks at Cat and then turns to Theresa. "Let's see...Theresa, I dare you...to go pinch Whitey's butt."

There is laughter as Theresa walks away to go do the dare. Jade smiles and turns to Cat. "Let's see...Cat?"

"Jade, come on."

"I dare you to show us how you really feel; kiss Chase."

Cat looks embarrassed, but after a nod from Jade, she eventually turns around and kisses him. Jade seems jealous as she looks over at Beck, who is also hurt. Cat finishes the kiss and walks away, embarrassed. Chase turns to Cat, then back to Jade, who walks past Beck.

"Why are you being such a bitch tonight, Jade?" Beck asked. Jade stops and leans on him.

"Well, I thought you liked that in a girl."

"You should put some ice on it." Beck gets up and walks away. Jade stands there, upset.

_**Swings **_

Cat walks past the tree swing and paces uncomfortably as Chase walks up. "So that was..." Chase doesn't know what to say.

"Yeah..." Cat faces him.

"What was that exactly, a game?" Chase asks.

"Kind of..." She crosses her arms. "Not really." She laughs. "Want to play again?" The two smile and walk towards each other, preparing for a kiss until...

"_Sorry." _Cat turns around and Chase looks up, both of them embarrassed. Bree stands there carrying some boxes of cake. "Uh, sorry, I just...um, your mom called with an SOS situation, so I just thought I'd sneak in the back and not bother anyway." She laughs.

"Do you need some help?"

Uncomfortably, Bree responds, "No. I'll, uh...you've got your hands full. So, I'm just gonna carry on." As she walks away, an embarrassed Cat and Chase turn back to each other and laugh.

_**Beck's Kitchen **_

Bree walks into the kitchen, bringing in the boxes of cake. "Everything you need..." She sets down the cakes and sighs. "...for a first class sugar coma."

"Oh, let's see." Deb opens a box. "Oh, these cakes are gorgeous. Who makes them?"

"These guys make them." Karen holds up her hands.

Deb thanks her, "Thank you, Bree. The caterers can take it from her. Go join your friends. Have some food."

"No, that's okay. I have to get back anyway. I'm still on the clock."

"Did you lock up when you left, turn off the coffee machine?" Karen asked.

"Yeah..."

"Well...then you're off the clock."

"Great, then it's settled. Uh, I'll get some waiters to serve these." Deb walks out of the room.

"She seems kind of cool. How are you holding up?" Bree asks.

"Well, I haven't had to, uh, "woof!" yet."

"Okay, whatever that means." Bree lasts.

"Bree?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why didn't you tell me it was Beck you were tutoring?" Karen asked.

"Oh, uh...it just seemed kind of weird. Chase wasn't really happy about it, so I just figured you wouldn't be too happy about it. I wasn't even sure if I was happy about it."

"And now?"

"Um...now things are good with Chase and with me."

"And with me. Now go have fun." Karen says. "It only comes around once.

"Okay." Bree sighs and walks away.

_**Beck's Backyard**_

Cat and Chase sit on the two-person swing, smiling at each other. Douglas looks on from behind, confused. Cat laughs before Chase starts to speak. "You know, I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but, um, I'm glad I came."

"So, what do we do now?"

Chase sighs. "I don't know. What happens in the next story you were telling me about?"

Cat thinks for a moment. "Come on." Cat gets up and walks away, Chase follows. Douglas looks on.

_**Beck and Bree **_

Bree crosses her arms, searching for someone she knows when Beck stops behind her and recognizes her. "Bree?"

"Hey!" She greets, turning around. "Um, I'm not crashing. I promise. Your mom just wanted some cakes."

"Cakes?"

"Yeah, it's a long story. She invited me to stay and I sort of had a brain freeze so I said "Sure" and...It's probably weird. I'm actually gonna leave."

"No, no, no. I'm glad you came."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'd even study right now. It'd be a hell of a lot more fun than this suck fest."

Bree laughs, "Sorry, I'm off-duty."

"Well, then let me get you a drink."

"Okay." They begin to walk away but stop and turn around when they hear Jade.

"Tutor girl!"

"It's Bree." She says.

"Jade..." Beck mutters.

"Bree, right...you're Beck's own personal little care package. Everything's starting to make so much more sense now. You two are adorable. What was my favorite part?" Jade starts to say the words on the not. "'Believing you'll do well is half the battle'..." Jade turns to Beck. "You know, Tutor Girl's little love note you passed around earlier - the one that said, "Call me if you need anything..." She looks at Bree and smiles. "'...at all'."

Beck steps in front of Jade, "Alright, Bree, I..."

"Stay away from me." Bree orders, walking away. Beck sighs and turns to Jade.

"Games are getting old, Jade." Jade just shrugs and turns to talk to Theresa. Beck looks at the closed door that Bree went through.

_**Douglas and Deb's Room **_

Chase and Cat come inside, kissing each other passionately. Cat kisses his stomach as she takes off his shirt and tie. "Don't need this...mm...Or this tie." Chase trails kisses down her neck.

"I've always wanted this for so long."

"Me too, and now we can have it."

"No, no, no. I don't mean just that. I want this." Chase pulls away and puts his hand over her heart and suddenly starts getting all serious. "You know? I want to be here. I want to have everything with you. I want it all. I want us, Cat."

Cat backs away, leaving a confused Chase. He asks, "What's wrong?"

"This isn't supposed to be that."

"Cat..."

"Why couldn't you just leave it alone?" Cat walks out.

_**Hallway **_

Cat quickly walks past Douglas, crying. He looks back at her for a second and continues on to his room.

_**Douglas and Deb's Room **_

Chase is putting on his shirt and picking up his jacket when Douglas walks in. Chase turns around, startled for a second. "Interesting." Douglas mutters. "You've always made me out to be the bad guy. Maybe you'll judge me a little different now."

"Spare me a lecture."

"I'm just trying to give you the benefit of my experience."

"In what, fathering a child...or abandoning one?"

Douglas chuckles softly, "It seems to me you're one mistake away from both."

"Yeah, well, one's an accident. The other's a choice." He heads to the door and walks past Douglas. "Excuse me."

_**Hallway **_

Chase walks up to Karen, fully clothed now. She looks at him, sensing that something's wrong. "Excuse me." Karen walks up to Chase.

"Hey."

"Woof?"

"Hey, listen, you guys can stay if you want." Chase responds. "I think I'm gonna cut out."

"What happened?"

"Nothing." Chase answered. "I'm just done is all?"

"Alright, well, let me go grab my coat."

"Hey, take your time. You guys go ahead. I'll-I'll be in the car, alright?"

Chase walks away, but Jade tries to stop him. "Chase."

"Come on, Jade. Not now." He walks away. Jade turns around to see Robbie.

"Robbie...Robbie, Robbie, Robbie."

"Oh, Jade, Jade, Jade."

"I'm drunk." She grabs his tie. "You'll do."

"Oh, oh, hey, um...it's quite an honor, but I got to be somewhere."

"Oh, right...the big mystery."

"Yeah, anyway, I should..." Robbie takes her hand off of him.

"What's going on anyway?" Jade asks. "Chase turns me down. You turn me down. Oh, my god! I got it! You're both gay. That totally explains it."

"Yeah, yeah, we are." Robbie jokes. "We're actually...we're gay." He laughs. "Whatever you say Jade."

"Then what is it? Come on, you can tell me. I won't even remember tomorrow."

"You want to know?" Jade nods and Robbie leans in to whisper, "The truth would kill your buzz." He walks away. Jade turns after him, confused.

**A Room in the Davenport Residence**

Karen is holding onto her coat as she looks around an empty room. Douglas walks in and stops at the door. "Deb put this room together for me a few Christmas' ago." Douglas informs her.

"It's nice. Anyway, I just came to get my coat."

"Karen, why are you doing this?"

"I'm doing it for Chase and for me."

"For you? What do you get out of it?"

"I get to move on, and that's pretty liberating. Look around, Douglas. You have a wonderful life. Why are you spending it stuck in the past?" Karen walks out.

**Karen's Café **

Chase walks up to the door and prepares to unlock it, but it is open. He walks inside and closes the door, looking around. "Bree? Hey, Bree!" Bree sits on the floor behind the counter, crying. She puts her hands over her face as Chase sees her and kneels down next to her. "Is this floor taken?"

Whimpering, Bree inhales and exhale deeply. "You know, just this once, I deserve a big, fat "I told you so."

"Well, you won't get it from me." He said. Bree laughs lightly. "What happened?"

"Exactly what you told me was going to happen. I started believing that he wasn't terrible and he proved me wrong. Once again, the smart girl is really stupid."

Chase wipes her tears. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, you are not stupid."

"Thanks." Bree swallows and sniffs. "Well, at least things are, uh, working out for one of us. It looks like you and Cat are headed in the right direction."

"Well, if it'll make you feel better, that lasted about five minutes."

Bree laughs and leans her forehead on Chase's. "It doesn't make me feel any better." She pulls away. "Well, welcome back."

"Back to where?"

"Welcome back to normal."

"Yeah, they can have their world. Come on; let me help you close up."

"No, thanks. I'll do it." Bree says. "I just...I just want to be alone for a little while, okay?"

Chase gives her the "are you sure?" face. "I'll be fine. I'll be okay." She pushes his face.

"Alright." Chase pats her lap and heads out the door. Bree puts her hands behind her head, crosses her arms and sighs.

**Beck's Bedroom **

Beck walks in and up to his dresser. He notices the note from Bree and reads it quickly, sighing.

**Karen's Café **

Bree is wiping off the counter when Beck walks up to the clear glass door and knocks. "Hey." He greets her. Bree turns around and walks up to the door, arms crossed with an angry expression on her face. "Can I come in?" He asks. Bree thinks for a second and flips off the light switch.

"Bree, I didn't know." He watches as Bree walks to the back of the café. He sighs. "Come on. Please, you got to believe me."

_**Robbie's Bedroom **_

Robbie is sitting on his bed, playing guitar and singing to a baby lying in a cradle. The baby starts to cry and Robbie puts down his guitar and cuddles the small child. "Sweet dreams, baby. Daddy loves you, alright?"

_**Beck's Bedroom **_

Beck walks in the room and notices something on the floor. He kneels down and sighs, covering a passed out Brooke with a blanket.

_**Cat's Room **_

Cat is busy drawing a sketch. The sketch is of her and Chase when he says, "I've wanted this for so long." In the left-hand section of the drawing, it says "AND NOW WE CAN HAVE IT." Cat works on the letter and it becomes AND NOW WE CAN'T HAVE IT. Cat finishes the drawing and looks up at the computer screen.

_**Chase's Bedroom **_

Chase sits at his computer desk, watching Cat on her webcam. Cat stands up and unzips her sweater. She takes it off and throws the sweater at her webcam, blacking it out. Chase stares at the screen.

**A/N: Review! But don't review about an Adam and Cat romance story. **


	8. The Search for Something More

_Chapter 8 - The Search for Something More_

_**Cat's Room **_

There's a horror movie on the TV and Jade wakes up as someone screams. "That is gonna leave a mark." Cat comments about a scene from the movie.

"So...what am I doing here?" Jade asks.

"Jade, that's two weekends in a row you don't remember what happened the night before."

Jade groans, "Oh, please tell me I didn't make a fool of myself with Chase."

"Nope, that would be me."

"Wait. You two were totally hot for each other."

"We were until about halfway through ripping each other's clothes of, I bailed."

"Why?"

"He got all serious. He was talking about this intense commitment or I don't know."

"Uh...I don't want to live in a world where two fine and willing girls like us can have such a lame Friday night." Jade paused. "I gotta change my karma. Maybe you should make some changes too."

"I didn't wake up with a foggy memory." Cat stated.

"Well, you didn't wake up with Chase, either." Cat punches her playfully.

_**Music Store **_

Bree and Chase are looking through CDs. Bree picks up one CD case. "Chase, did you ever hear of UHF or Lucero?"

"Yeah, UHF; they're from Portland, right? They're good. Um, but with Lucero, they're great."

"Cool." She responds. Beck walks in and Bree looks over from Chase's glare.

"Are you okay?" Chase asked her, still looking at Beck.

"Yeah, I can handle it." Bree responded. Chase walked away as Beck walked over.

"I called your house." Beck informed her. "Your mom said I was here."

"Crap. I should lie to her next time."

"Look, I didn't know until Jade read that note, okay? I didn't even know there was a note until later. I wouldn't do that to you."

"Okay."

"Great, so...are we cool?" Beck asked.

"No, no, we're not."

"Well, you believe me, right?"

"Yeah, I believe you're sorry." Bree responded.

"Well, then what..."

"Look, this whole tutoring thing, hanging out, whatever it is, thing. It's just a bad idea. I'm done. I'm just done, Beck." Bree walks away and Beck watches. Chase watches Beck.

_**Lingerie Shop**_

Jade has on a black bustier with purple lace and Cat's still wearing her normal clothes. "So, explain to me how this fixes your karma again." Cat says.

"It doesn't, but it's a total pick me up, don't you think?" Jade lifts her breasts as if to demonstrate the bustier's "pick up" qualities. "No, try this on." Jade hands Cat a leopard print top. "Now the karma thing comes next. I figured out a master plan. If I can fix the damage I've done to certain people's love lives, maybe the universe will kick in and fix mine."

"It's a pretty long list." Cat says as she walks into the dressing room.

"Yeah, and Beck and Bree are at the top of it. I screwed them over royally last night. Double karma points if I can undo that one." She says. Cat comes out of the dressing room. "Fabulous! You know not everybody can pull of the sleazy in the jungle vibe. Now I can fix you up to."

"No thanks. I am done with the drama of dating. I just want to have fun for once."

"Then you'll be happy to know that I got us invited to a party at Duke tonight."

"So much for you changing your ways..." Cat comments.

"What?" Jade asked. "You promised to have fun, and I promised to indulge in boys, not booze. And now we have something to wear." Cat laughs.

**Karen's Café**

Deb is sitting across the counter from Karen. She wipes the rest of the omelet with a napkin. "My omelet was perfect, Karen." Deb informs her.

"Oh, thanks. And it's on the house. It gives me an opportunity to repay you for your hospitality last night."

"Oh, not necessary, I had fun." Deb said. Karen sifts through mail.

"You gotta love the mail service." Karen remarks. She stops when she sees a letter.

Deb asks, "Is everything okay?"

"I just, um, I had applied to this amazing cooking circle in Florence and they just had a last minute opening."

"Oh, well congratulation."

"I've not even been waitlisted before." Karen utters. Deb takes the letter.

"Wait a minute." Deb takes a closer look at the letter. "Its six weeks in Italy? Aren't you excited?"

"It starts next week, so it's not like I can go."

"Then why did you apply?" Deb questioned.

"As a lark. It's just not a good time with Chase and the café."

"It's the opportunity of a lifetime."

"Yeah, well, I guess it will have to wait until some other lifetime."

_**Davenport House**_

Beck is lifting weights as Jade walks up. He puts the weights away and sits up. "What do you want Jade?"

"I want to apologize for what I did to you and Bree." Jade admitted.

"You're apologizing?" Beck asked, wondering if she was sick or something. This was not like the Jade West he knew.

"Yeah, I know. It's kinda weird, right? But I'm trying to appease the Gods so...I'm sorry."

"Whatever, for drunken high school girls sick, so..."

"Okay," Jade responded, a little offended. "I totally had that coming. I want you to know I'm going to fix it. I'm going to get you and Bree back on track."

"It's not gonna happen." He said. "She made that pretty clear this morning."

"Just leave it to me. What do you want to do on your date?"

Beck looks up, "What date?"

"Never mind, there's no time to waste. I'll call you later with details."

_**Karen's Café**_

Donald sits at the counter and Karen walks up with a pile of boxes. "What's with the boxes?" Donald asks, curious.

"Oh, bookshelves, and they were supposed to come assembled." Karen answers.

"You're gonna put them together all by yourself?"

"Actually, I was going to offer you dinner to help me."

Donald grins, "Sold."

"Perfect. I'll be closing the café around seven. So it's a date?"

"It's a date." Donald gets up and walks away.

Bree is in the cafe, she's working as Jade walks in. As Bree walks by the door, she says, "We're closed." Jade looks around and sees a bunch of people eating and talking and looks at the door to see the sign turned to OPENED.

"Oh, I get it. It's closed to me. I don't blame you. I'd be a bitch to me too after last night." Jade replies.

"Go ahead and knock yourself out."

"You're feisty. I see what Beck likes about you." She paused, following Bree. "Look, you're blaming him for something that I did and it's not fair. I was drunk, I was pissed, and I found your note...and you know the rest. I want to make it up to you."

"You're making it up to me by going away?"

"I'm making it up to you by hooking you and Beck up tonight. What's your idea of a perfect date?"

"The perfect date is watching you get hit by a bus."

"And that sense of humor...Beck's really lucky. He'll be here at 7. Have fun." Jade leaves the café, not seeing Bree roll her eyes.

_**Chase's House**_

Chase is listening to the voice of an Italian man on the answering machine as Karen walks in. "_Bonjouno. I am Marcello Vivari of the Genoculudidian Institute in Florence. I call for Seniorina Karen Roe."_

"When does that 'do not call list' kick in?" Chase asked, annoyed by the accent.

"_Excuse me, but we haven't heard from you. We sent a letter inviting you to start next week and, uh, we haven't heard a word so would you be call enough to call me back." _Karen deletes the message.

Chase asked, "Isn't that the school you've been talking about?"

"Yeah..."

"Mom, that's great!"

"It's no big deal. I'm not gonna go."

"It is a big deal, Mom. Come on, it's a huge deal."

"Well, maybe I'll just go some other time."

"No, mom, now's the time...come on, you've put your whole life on hold for me. Every choice you've made has been about me."

"That's the way it's supposed to be. I'm your mother."

"And I want you to have this." Chase paused. "It's time for you to do something for yourself."

"I'll think about it."

"Don't think about it, mom. Do it."

_**Duke Part - Night **_

Jade and Cat walk in and Jade starts to say, "We're young. We're fun. Let's do some damage."

"Want some while it lasts?" A girl asks, holding out a cup of alcohol.

"No thanks, I'm a designated driver." Jade walks past the alcohol and Cat smiles.

Jade looks at random guys, labeling them, "Too desperate...too geeky...well, hello, Abercrombie." Jade and Cat share a smile as Jade goes to talk to Abercrombie and Cat continues to walk, coming to a stop at a bedroom door. Inside's a guy lying on a bed, playing music from a record player.

"Wow," Cat leans on the door frame. "Fugazi, Sparta...on vinyl. Do you mind?" The guy looks up and Cat walks in, picking up The Descendant's "Milo Goes to College".

"Milo Goes to College. This is a great album."

"You know the descendants?"

"Yeah...I'm Cat."

"I'm Gabe. Do you wanna hear the album?" Cat nods and the guy gets up.

_**Playground Ball Court **_

When Chase arrives, his friends are playing. He hears Skills say, "That's too easy man. You gotta play some defense." as he reaches Leo.

Leo says, "The prodigal son returns."

"Hey, Leo, how are you doing, man?" Chase asks.

"Hey, sir remembers my name." Leo remarks.

"Ah."

"Have, uh, we met?" Junk walks up and asks.

"How's it going, Junk?" Chase shakes hands with Junk and a third boy holds out his hand.

"Ferguson Thompson."

"Okay, guys, come on." Chase chuckled. "It has not been that long."

"It feels like forever, dog. I mean, do you still play street ball?"

"Better than you."

"Aw, baby, he's been back two seconds and he's already talking right. Ooh. Let's see what you got."

"Fine, shoot for teams."

"You know what, why don't you and Fergie just take it, because you're gonna need it."

"Oh, really, like that."

"Just like that; lock him up, man." Skills says.

_**Duke Party **_

Jade is talking to Abercrombie. Abercrombie asks, "So what are you drinking?"

"I'm not tonight." She answers.

"Yeah? Me neither. I have a killer exam on Monday."

"Really, on what?"

"Psychology." Abercrombie paused. "It's human sexuality, actually."

"What a coincidence. I specialize in sexuality."

_**Gabe's Room **_

"So, there's no way you have this one." Gabe holds up a record.

"Please," Cat responds. "I've got it covered on vinyl."

"Okay. I was wrong about you. I guess the, uh, clothes through me off."

"I'm into the music, not the uniform."

"Same as me."

"Yeah, well maybe some of us can love the song without painting our fingernails back." They both laugh and Gabe continues.

"Let me get you a drink."

"I'm not really drinking tonight." Cat said.

"So, that's why we haven't met before. You're still in high school."

"Yeah, I'm a regular cheerleader." She says. Gabe laughs.

"Right, right...you're a straight edge?"

"Not really."

"How about it, just one drink; we haven't even gotten to my bootleg collection."

"Why not?" Cat asks. Gabe gets up and pours her a drink. Grinning, he slips in a pill when she isn't watching.

_**Karen's Café**_

"Okay. I'm done. Catch." Bree throws Donald a rag, ready to leave. "I'm gonna head..." She's cut off by Beck knocking at the door. "...out."

Bree opens the door and steps outside. She asks, "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't Jade tell you I was going to come?"

"I try to block out everything that Jade says so whatever you guys are up to, I'm just not in the mood." Bree tells him.

"I'm not up to anything. Look, I apologized and I told you the truth. The rest is Jade. She sat up this whole serial date thing." Beck holds up a card in his hand. "One card leads to the next."

"Well," Bree asks, "What does the first one say?"

"Convince Bree to go. How am I doing so far?"

"I don't know." She responds. "It depends on what the second card says."

Beck reads, "Go to 1423 River Street and find your next envelope. On the way, tell three things you like about each other."

"I don't know."

"Look, I'll go first." Beck responds. "You're the most patient person I know. You don't go postal on me during tutoring and you don't treat me like some kind of moron. I really appreciate that. Look, I know I have no right to ask, but we never do anything fun together. And plus, this is Jade. I mean, you can bet it's not going to be boring."

"I'm free to bail whenever?" She asked.

"Absolutely, trust me."

"Uh-huh." She paused. "Okay, what the hell."

_**Duke Party **_

Jade and Abercrombie are making out. "Jade, let's go to your room."

"Um, you know what, yours is better." Jade said.

"I have a sick roommate." He says. "You live in this dorm?" They start kissing again.

"I'm across campus, way across."

"I-I got my car."

"Okay. Great, let's start there." A cell phone rings and both rich for their cells. Jade checks her and sees that it's not ringing.

"It's you." Jade states.

"Hello?" Abercrombie speaks to the person on the other line. "I can't here...right now? ...but you said I could stay until midnight...this sucks!" Abercrombie hangs up and turns back to Jade.

"I'm sorry, was that your mom?" Jade asks. "What, are you in high school?"

"Yeah...but these parties are a great place to meet college girls." Abercrombie responds. "Can I get your number?"

"What kind of loser pretends he's in college?"

"I'll take that for a no."

"Real funny." Jade says, walking away in disgust.

_**Gabe's Room**_

Cat's lying on his bed. She feels really groggy and nauseous. "Hey. Are you okay?" Gabe asks, sitting next to her.

"I don't know. What's this?"

"Why? Do you like it?" He asks.

"Did you slip me something?" Gabe walks over and Cat tries to get up. She realizes what's happening. "Oh god I..."

"Lie down, it's a good idea." Gabe shuts his bedroom door.

"Leave me alone." As Cat struggles against Gabe, she turns on her cell. "Get off me. Ow!"

Gabe holds a finger to his mouth to silence her.

_**Outside the Room**_

Jade is walking down the hall, calling Cat on her cell. "Cat!" Jade shouts into her phone. She stops outside of Gabe's door. A guy is standing there as Jade struggles to open the door.

"Are you looking for someone?" The guy asks.

"Yeah, no, my friend's in here. Get it open." The guy opens the door and Jade finds Gabe over Cat.

"Hey!" She shouts, getting Gabe's attention. Jade runs into the room and pushes Gabe. "Get off of her." She orders. "Cat! Oh my god, this pervert attacked my friend."

"She's lying." Gabe lies. "Her friend's just wasted.

"Cat, come on." Jade stands, almost fully supporting Cat as she hurries from the room.

"She shouldn't drink so much!" Gabe shouts after her.

_**Chase's House**_

Karen sits at a table with some pieces to the bookshelves. She looks at Donald to see that something must be on his mind.

"What's on your mind, Donald?"

"What? Is it that obvious?"

"Well, you just seem a little preoccupied."

"Yeah, well, last night after Douglas' party. I realized something and I'm tired of settling."

"How so?" She asked.

"Well, I developed a bad habit somehow just, uh, letting things happen to me instead of going after what I really want."

"Yeah, I know what you're saying. Sometimes I feel like I'm too old to take risks."

"Well, yeah, but we're not. Hell, why can't we still be as fearless as we were when we were kids?" Donald asked.

"That's because we have mortgages and business and more responsibility than we ever dreamed of back then."

"Well, yeah, but don't you think we should still take a chance every now and then. Find something you want and go for it."

"Like what?" Donald just looks at her. He's about to answer when the buzzer goes off. "Oh, that's the bread."

"Mm..."

"Hold that thought." Karen orders, getting up. Donald looks disappointed.

_**Playground Court**_

The game's still going on. Leo's talking into the microphone. "And Davenport is back with a vengeance showing the locals how it's done."

"That was nice, Chase." Junk says just as Chase's cell rings.

"Man, you got a cell phone too, dog? Dang, you sure have changed, man." Skills teases. Chase grins, answering his cell phone.

"Hello?" He suddenly hears Jade talking quickly on the other line.

"_Chase, Cat's in trouble. Somebody drugged her drink and I can't wake her up." _

"Okay, Jade, slow down. Where are you?"

"_We're on the steps of Chapman Hall." _

"Alright, call the campus police."

"_I can't." Jade shouts. "She's been drinking!" _

"Okay, I'll be right there." Chase turns off his cell. "Gotta go, guys!" Chase takes off, running towards his car.

_**Bree and Beck**_

Bree and Beck are walking down the street. "And number three?" Bree requests.

"I like your loyalty to Chase. I know I'm not always wild about how it plays out, but it's cool."

"Okay, uh, three things I like about you."

"My good looks." Beck jokes and she laughs.

Bree starts to list them down. "I like the way you let me in, past all the bluster you give everybody else. And I like your smile when you solve a problem. And...you're not horrible to look at." They both stop, having reached their destination. Bree, shocked, asks, "_This _is where we're going?"

"Nice work, Jade." Beck laughs as they both stand in front of a lingerie store.

_**Duke Steps **_

Cat's head is resting against Jade's leg. A young woman walks over. Concerned, the woman asks, "Is your friend okay?"

"I don't know; she can't stay awake."

"Do you know where you are?" The woman asks Cat. "Do you know your name?"

"Just...dizzy." Cat says, opening her eyes before closing them again. Chase's car pulls to a stop and Chase jumps out, rushing over to Jade and Cat.

"Jade!" He shouts as he reaches them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to call."

"Is she okay?" Chase asked.

"She's not drunk. I think he gave her a sedative. We just need to know what it was." The woman says. Chase looks at her questioningly. "I'm a med student."

"Okay, Jade, I need you to show me what room she was in." Chase tells her. Jade nods, starting to cry. He asks the woman, "Can you stay with her?"

"Alright." Chase says, helping take Cat off Jade's lap. "Alright, come on." He and Jade run up the steps and Jade leads him to Gabe's room.

"It's this one."

Chase opens the door, shouting, "Hey, open the door."

"_Piss off." _Gabe shouts from inside.

Angry, Chase mutters, "Piss off." He looks to the guy who opened the door for Jade earlier. "Is this your dorm?" He asks the guy. The guy nods. "Go get your R.A."

Chase steps back and kicks the door open. Gabe jumps up and shouts, "Hey, man!"

"It's him." Jade informed Chase. Chase lunges at Gabe.

"What did you put in her drink?"

"I didn't put anything in her drink."

"You can tell me or you can tell the police." Chase gave him two choices.

"It was nothing, man, alright? It was one roofie."

"Where are they?" Gabe laughs and Chase slams him against the wall, punching him. "I said where are they!"

"They over there in the box." Chase walks over to the box, grabs the sheet of pills, smiles, and punches Gabe again.

"Oh, you better hope to God she's alright." Chase storms out of the room and past Jade, who shakes her head and glares at Gabe before following Chase out.

_**Lingerie Store **_

Beck's going through the items, grinning. "This would go a lot faster if you helped." Beck stated.

Bree responds, "I'm gonna kill Jade."

"Well, okay, here it is." Beck pulls an envelope from a thong. He reads the letter. "Congratulations. Now by each other a gift and exchange them on the way to...there's another address here."

"This is so wrong." Bree states. Beck laughs.

"You want to do it?"

"I didn't say that. Let's go." After getting gifts and everything, Beck and Bree exit.

Beck asks, "Did you see what that saleswoman was wearing?"

"...or not wearing." Bree hands Beck her bag. "Here. You go first."

"Aright..." Beck takes the item out of the bag. "Socks..."

"I was playing it safe. What did you get me?"

"Open it and see."

Bree pulls out a cream negligee. "Oh my gosh, this is really nice. Thanks."

"Okay, if we go to this next place and we hate it, we can just get some pizza, alright?" Beck pronounces.

"Okay."

_**Cat's Bedroom **_

Chase tucks Cat in under the covers, and then joins Jade at the computer. She's researching the effects of the sedative. "It says here she'll be disoriented, she may have some short term memory loss, which is maybe not a bad thing."

"How long until the roofie wears off?" Chase asks.

"Overnight, probably; do you think she'll be okay?"

"I don't know, Jade." He answers.

"I feel terrible. It's all my fault."

"Yeah, well, what's done is done." He states. "The med student says she's gonna be okay, right? So we just need to watch her until she wakes up."

"I can do it. You've done way too much already."

"I don't mind hanging out. This time, I'd worry about her too much if I took off anyway."

"Okay."

"Look, it's not your fault, okay?" He tries to ensure her. "And hey, you did get her out of there before he could do anything."

Jade nods as she became teary-eyed.

_**Restaurant **_

A waiter hands Bree a menu as Beck sits down. "Here you go, miss...sir."

"Thanks, to be honest, I'm a little afraid."

"Order your favorite dish for the other person." Bree reads the next car.

"Any chance your favorite dish is...prime rib?"

"Yeah, we have a lot of that at my house."

"I'm not experienced with this so, uh..."

"You're not experienced with ordering food?"

"No. I mean, with Cat, it was all just parties and games and drama. I never really did anything like this. This is different."

Bree nods, "Different good or different weird?"

"No. It's good." Beck answered.

"Okay."

"I'm really glad you decided to come."

_**Chase's House **_

Karen and Donald are sitting at the table, eating. "So, the other night after the SPL banquet, you said something." Karen brings the subject up.

"Yeah, I know."

"You said that you...you weren't the person you want to be." Karen paused. "I feel the same."

"Yeah, well, maybe it's time we change that."

"I want to. I'm a little scared."

"You don't need to be. I promise." Donald said.

"Good, because there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Me too." Donald responds. "You go first."

"I got accepted to this cooking program in Italy. It's, uh, been a dream of mine since I was a teenager."

Donald suddenly looks hurt. "Well, that's great. When would you leave?"

"Oh, right away, actually. I'd have to leave the day after tomorrow, actually."

"Well, for how long?"

"It's six weeks. But I mean do I have a right to go traipsing half way across the world when I have a son and a business to worry about."

"Well, you've got good instincts, so what does your gut say?"

"They say that I should go."

"Well, then you should trust that. I mean, you know, you spent your life putting Chase first and he's a good kid, but now you need to go after a dream of your own."

"That's what Chase said."

"Well, he's right." Donald lifts his glass. "Here's to your great adventure." They clink glasses.

_**Cat's Bedroom **_

Jade's sitting on the bed next to Cat as Chase stands in the doorway. "She's still sleeping?" Chase asks. Jade looks up to see him holding a coffee cup. "Here, I made some coffee if you want..."

"I don't know how you do it." Jade responds.

"It's easy. The directions are on the bag."

"You know what I mean. You'd give up everything to help her after what happened at Beck's house."

"She told you about that?"

"A little...look, the thing about Cat; it's really hard for her to let her guard down, but once she does, she's got this amazing art, you know."

"It sounds like something the two of you have in common. Who knew?"

"So you don't have any brothers, do you?" Right after she says it, she realizes what was wrong with the question and starts to laugh.

"You mean...besides Beck."

Jade, embarrassed, responds, "Yeah...how'd that work anyway? I mean, are you..."

"I'm three months older. My mom got pregnant right after her senior year. Douglas moved on to Beck's mom the first semester of college."

"That must have been really hard for your mom." Jade paused. "So, you two are pretty close."

"Yeah, we do a lot of stuff together. We talk and she's really great."

"That sounds nice. My parents would rather throw cash at me and send me on my way than spend any time with me." Jade informed him. Cat shifts and they look at her.

"Listen," Chase says. "You can grab some sleep if you want. I'll watch her for a while."

"Okay." Jade smiles. "I'd rather stay and talk to you if you don't mind."

"I don't mind." They share a smile.

_**Restaurant **_

"I thought you'd be into lobster." Beck said.

"Dude, macaroni and cheese is food of the gods."

"Yeah, only if the gods are five year olds." He remarks. Bree laughs.

"Are you ready for this next envelope?" Beck asked.

"Yep, bring it."

Beck reads, "Reveal a secret nobody knows about you."

"Okay. When I was in second grade, I stole some candy."

Beck chuckled. "Come on, that's not a secret. Tell me something for real."

"Okay...I cheated on a Geometry test last year."

"Bree James cheated?"

"Yeah...my dad was out of town, my mom was sick and I had to take care of her so I didn't really have time to study."

"Did you get caught?" Beck asked.

"No. That was the point. I mean, I knew what I had done and that didn't sit right for me."

"So you started tutoring?"

"Yeah, I guess I thought it would be like, penance, or something, but it turns out I really liked it."

"I thought it was just to get to me."

"So, what about you? What's your...secret?" Bree asks as a group of Beck's friends walk over.

"What's up, Beck?" They ask him.

"Hey." Another friend greets him.

"What's up, guys?" Beck asks them.

"What's this?"

"Well, you know Bree's my tutor, right?"

"It looks more like a date to me."

"No, dude, it's definitely not a date."

"Okay, if that's your story." The friends walk off.

"Hey, I'm sorry about that." Beck apologizes.

"Are you really that embarrassed to be seen with me?" Bree asks, hurt.

"No. He's just, he was gonna..."

"Why are you only nice to me when we're alone?" Bree asks, cutting him off. Beck doesn't answer and Bree stands up. "You know, for a few hours there, I was actually starting to think that you weren't a son of a bitch and you just, God, fooled me again." Bree starts to leave.

"No! Uh, Bree, wait!" Beck calls after her, but Bree is already gone.

_**Cat's Bedroom **_

Chase is sitting next to Cat, who has finally just woken up, and Jade had gone to sleep in a different room. "Hey. How are you feeling?" He asks.

"I feel like hell." Cat expresses. "What are you doing here?"

"You don't remember last night, huh?"

"I remember Jade took me to a party."

"A guy slipped you something in your drink. Jade called me to help out." Cat starts to sit up, shocked. "No, nothing happened! Jade stopped him."

"God..." Cat trailed off.

"Aright, I'm gonna go wake her up, okay?"

"Wait!" Cat shouts, stopping him. "Thanks, again."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay, alright?" Chase gets up.

"Chase..." She calls him. Chase turns around. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"All sorts of things." She responds. Chase nods and walks out.

_**Parking Lot in Chase's Car**_

Chase pulls the truck to a stop. Jade's in the passenger seat and he's driving her home. "Do you want me to follow you home?"

"No. I'll be okay."

"Okay." Chase paused. "So, why'd you call me, anyway? I'm not Beck or one of the guys..."

"Because I knew you'd come through."

"You're a good friend to her, Jade."

"You sound surprised." Jade states.

"Sorry, I just...I guess I just figured that you were..."

"That I was a brainless slut."

"No. You're not. What I was gonna say was that I just...I didn't think that you were...that tough, but I was clearly wrong about you."

"It's okay. Most people are." She leans in and kisses him on the cheek.

"Hey Jade...call me if you need anything, okay?"

Jade nods, "Count on that." She gets out of the truck. He sits there for a moment after she leaves.

_**Chase's House**_

Chase walks in and Karen's standing there, angry. Karen starts with, "Please tell me that you were somewhere in the land of no phones."

"I know. I should've called."

"Coming home would've been another option."

"You're right." Chase says. "I'm sorry."

"You looked me in the eye and said 'Go to Italy. I can take care of myself'."

"Look, I can, mom!" Chase shouted. "A guy drugged Cat's drink at a party. Jade called me for help. I took her home, waited until she felt better. That's the truth."

"As far excuses go, that's pretty solid." Karen continues. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she'll be fine."

"Drugs parties and I am supposed to leave the country?"

"Hey, don't not go to Italy because of this, okay, mom, please?"

"We'll see, but if I do decide to go, I'm going to have Donald come and stay here while I'm gone."

"Great, just as long as you go." Chase pulls a piece of paper from his sweatshirt pocket. "I went on Cat's computer and booked you a flight on the emergency credit card, non-refundable."

Karen looks up and smiles. "I want you to have something for yourself, mom. You've earned it." They hug.

_**Outside Bree's House **_

Beck is throwing rocks at a window, thinking its Bree's until she walks up behind him saying, "Are you trying to wake up my parents? That's their room." Beck turns around to see Bree behind him.

"Wait!" He stops her from walking away. "Bree, look, I need to apologize, okay?"

"You should right them in bulk if you're going to hand apologies out that often."

"Can we just...I don't know how to do this, alright? I'm not like you."

"What does that mean?"

"I screw up a lot, right? And being around you, I just, I don't want to be that guy anymore."

"Well, who do you want to be, Beck?" Bree asked.

"I want to be someone who's good enough to be seen with you."

A frustrated Bree responds, "Well, you should've thought of that last night. You know, I keep...I keep putting myself out there, and you keep blowing it. It's probably a good thing because at this point, there's nothing you could say or do that's gonna surprise me."

Proving her wrong, Beck leans in and kisses her suddenly. "Except that," Bree says quietly. "You shouldn't have done that, Beck."

"I wanted to."

"Yeah..." Bree pauses, looking at him, then suddenly leans forward, kissing him again, this second kiss much more passionate than the first.

_**Karen's Café **_

Deb walks in as Karen's looking at a piece of paper. She walks over to the counter and asks, "Have I lost my dining privileges?"

"Why would you?"

"Oh, because yesterday I popped off about how you should drop everything and go to Italy. I can be a tad bit pushy."

"Actually, I was, uh, all set to get. But then this morning, I was, uh, going over the numbers and there really is no way I can afford to shut down for six weeks." Karen explains.

"Well, then don't; hire me. I can take over." Deb offers. Karen laughs.

"Right..."

"Well why not? I've got time and the management experience, and if that's all that's keeping you from going."

"Deb, be serious. I have two things in my life; Chase and this café."

"I know that. And because of that you know I take it seriously. You can walk me through the big stuff today and Bree can help me with the rest."

"I can't."

"Karen, I'd like to believe we're friends. And, uh, I know that's happened quickly, but it has and it means a lot to me, so I'm going to say this and then deny it if it ever gets out. There are things in my life I would change if I could, and running from opportunity is one of them. Go to Italy. Let me help you go. Your life is now."

Karen smiles, "Okay...okay."

_**Playground Court **_

Chase and his friends are playing basketball when a car pulls up. He makes a basket and turns around to see Jade walking toward the picnic table. She sits on it next to Leo.

"Hey, what's your name again?"

"Leo Dooley."

"You know you're kind of cute. Do you have a girlfriend?" Leo looks shocked. "I've got a real knack for hooking people up."

Jade catches Chase's gaze and smiles. He smiles back.

_**Davenport House**_

"Mmm, what smells so good?" Douglas asks, walking into the kitchen.

"Uh, I got take out from Karen." Deb informs him. Douglas suddenly frowns.

"What's this?" Douglas gestures to Karen's laptop and other business-related supplies.

"I'm going back to work for a while."

"Oh, Deb, that's great. The foundation must be thrilled."

"Uh, no, it's not with the foundation. Um, I'm going to run the café for Karen while she's away at cooking school in Italy. Donald is moving in with Chase while she's away and I told Karen..." Deb paused and realized Douglas was looking around. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for the hidden cameras, because you can't be serious."

"Uh, I am serious. Karen has had enough taken away from her and I can give just some tiny part of that back."

"And you did all this without discussing it with me first?" Douglas asked.

"The way you discussed all those decisions you made about Beck with me?"

"Payback's an ugly emotion, Deb." Deb smiles and walks away.

_**Chase's House **_

Donald and Karen are carrying a huge suitcase out of the house. "I thought you were going for six weeks." Donald comments because of all the bags. Chase follows Karen out of the house.

"So, are you sure you're okay with Deb taking over?" Karen as Chase.

"Yeah, if it means you get to go." Karen hugs Chase.

"Oh, I love you."

"I love you too." Donald's finished getting the suitcase into the car. He walks over to Karen.

"Are you ready to go?" Donald asks.

"Yeah."

"Great. I got a little present for you." Donald holds up 10,000 lyres. "This is all that's left of my backpacking trip through Europe."

"10,000 lyres." Karen repeats.

"Yep, it's only worth about 6 bucks, but you can get yourself a gelato." Karen smiles and leans against Donald.

"Don't worry. It will all be waiting for you when you get back."

_**Mission Creek High **_

It's finally the end of school for the day. Bree's just leaving the building to go home when she sees Beck down the hall. "Bye...sorry." She pauses. Beck starts walking toward her, but he runs into friends.

"What up, Beck?" Beck nods and knocks fists with the friend. Beck starts to notice Bree leaving.

"Bree!" Beck runs after her. She stops and lets him catch up. He pushes a hair out of her face, making it obvious he doesn't care who knows.

_**New Brunswick County Airport **_

Karen and Donald are at the departure gate. "Don't forget to call when you land okay?"

"Alright." Karen paused. "You remember when you said the other night that I had good instincts and that I should trust them?"

"Yeah?"

Karen leans in and kisses a shocked Donald. Karen pulls back. "You were right." She says. She walks away and Donald watches, smiling. They wave.

_**Mission Creek High **_

Chase is walking and he runs into Cat. "Hi." Cat greets him, giving him a hug. "I owe you." She smiles and walks away. Chase catches Jade's gaze. She smiles at him and then walks away with Cat. Chase watches them.

"So, been to any bad parties lately?" Jade asked her. "Come on, I'll walk you to history."

**A/N: Review! **

**Next Chapter - With Arms Outstretched**: After fighting with his father and Bree, Beck succumbs to the pressure and takes amphetamines to help him play better.


	9. With Arms Outstretched

_Chapter 9 - With Arms Outstretched_

_**Mission Creek High **_

The hallways are crowded and students are mulling about their lockers, as if classes haven't started yet. "How's your punching hand?" Cat asks when she walks over.

"It's a lot better now that I nailed a guy's face. How about you? How are you feeling?"

"I feel like an idiot." She admits. "Look, Chase, you're cool with us being just friends, right? I mean, we are friends, right?"

"We are."

"Okay."

"And I'm cool with it. And besides, I was...I wasn't ready for all that Cat Valentine/Girlfriend drama anyway, you know." He paused. "Hey, say hi to Jade for me?" Cat nods. "Alright, talk to you later."

Chase leaves Cat standing by his locker, looking upset.

_**Hallway **_

Beck walks quickly, trying to catch up with Bree. "Bree." He grabs her arm and leads her into an empty classroom, gently pushing her against a wall and he kisses her. Bree breaks the kiss.

"Mm, uh, we can't do this here right now." Bree says. Both of them laugh.

"We just did. Alright, I'll kiss you later." Beck leaves and Bree leans against the wall, smiling. She leaves soon after.

_**The Gym **_

Chase and the rest of the Varsity Basketball team are sitting on the bleachers as Whitey speaks. "When you leave this gym today, I want each one of you to look at the sun, because if you lose to Cove City on Friday, I can pretty much guarantee you that sun will not rise the next day." The team laughs, but Beck looks uncomfortable. "That's not a joke. I've coached some great players and great teams in this gym, but not one of those great players or great teams has finished a season undefeated. You may be the first. There are only two things separating you from greatness. Number one is Cove City. Number two is you." Whitey points a finger at the boys on the bleacher.

_**Jade and Chase**_

The school bell rings and Chase enters through a set of double doors and runs around the corner where Jade is walking away. "Jade!" He calls her. "I've got something for you."

"I know you do, gorgeous." She replies. Chase hands Jade Steinbeck's The Winter of Our Discontent.

"It's that book I was telling you about. I thought you might want to check it out."

"Oh, I definitely want to check it out. I supposed I could read the book too. But what are you going to for me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if I read the book, you do something for me."

"Like what?" Chase asked.

"Okay. It's a deal."

"Should we shake on it or just make out now?" Jade asked. Chase grins and walks away. Jade eyes the book, "Who knew reading could be so much fun?"

_**Karen's Café**_

Deb's behind the counter when the door opens and Douglas steps in. He asks, "Need some help?"

She rolls her eyes, responding, "No. Everything is just fine."

"How about a cup of coffee?" He dangles a couple dollar bills from his hand and Deb reaches for the coffee pot."

"Deb, I know you claim your taking over the café's not some sort of payback."

"It isn't." She says. "I'm trying to help Karen."

Douglas takes a sip of his coffee and a "gross" expression washes over his face. "Are you trying to help her by ruining her business? That's the worst cup of coffee I ever paid for."

"If you've come here to mock me, Douglas, save it."

"I didn't come here to mock you. I had a few hours. I thought maybe my wife could use my help. Clearly she can."

The door opens and Chase walks in. He sees and stops, then exists. Deb and Douglas share a look.

_**Davenport House**_

Beck and Douglas sit at a table with takeout. "How's your sandwich?"

"Well, I'll start cooking again, unless your mother comes to her senses."

"You know, just when I think things can't get any weirder around here, Mom takes over Karen's café." Beck stopped. "I think I'm going to invite Chase to spend the night." Douglas looks at Beck and Beck laughs.

"Well, your mother hasn't exactly been herself lately. It might help if you tell her you're happy. She thinks I've ruined your life." Douglas stakes. Beck looks down as Douglas continues. "Cover City game's coming up."

"Yeah, Whitey claims that if we lose, the sun doesn't rise."

"Well, he might actually be right for once. Of course, you know who scored the most points against the Cavaliers?"

Beck nods.

"42." Douglas says.

"Yeah, I'm looking to top that this week."

"No. You won't you want to know why? You're not tough enough inside. I got coverage buckets you'll never get because you can't bang down low like I did, that, plus the fact that your conditionings for crap. I never left the floor during a game."

"Hey, guys." Deb greats when she answers.

Standing up, Beck says, with no expression, "I'm happy, Mom. Dad loves me." He walks out and Deb turns back to Douglas questioningly.

"What was that all about?"

"He was wondering where his mother was."

"Oh. Don't start, Douglas. I am tired and I'm hungry."

"Oh, well. How about you eat first and then we argue?"

"How about we just don't argue?" Deb asked.

"How about we just don't eat?" Douglas walks out and Deb sighs.

_**Beck's Room **_

Beck's pacing back and forth, talking to Tim on the phone. Tim asks, "What up, brother?"

"I don't mean to be racist, but...you do know you're white, Tim?"

"What's wrong with you?" Tim asked, slightly offended.

"Is your brother still dealing?"

"Why?"

"I need to tear it up against Cove City."

"How's getting high gonna help?" Tim asked.

"Not weed, Tim, performance enhancers." Beck responds. "Look, just tell your brother that I'm gonna be on the floor for forty minutes, and I need to be in a different gear."

Tim asks, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, he'll know what to get." Beck hangs up and notices a picture of himself and Douglas. He throws the phone at it.

_**PIZZERIA **_

Chase and Donald sit at a table, sharing a pizza. Donald asks, "So what, you going to avoid the café for the next six weeks?"

"What, you don't like pizza?"

"I love pizza, but that's not the point."

"Look, don't you find it a bit strange having Beck's mom running the café?" Chase asks.

"Yeah, it's a little strange. It's also pretty gutsy of her. Douglas' gotta be giving her a lot of grief about it. You know, Chase you really ought to give her a chance. Deb's okay. When you think about, when she got pregnant in college, her life changed a lot like your mom's did."

"Yeah, but why does she stay with a guy like Douglas?"

"I don't know. Maybe she wants to protect her son."

"Hey Handsome." Jade suddenly walks up and leans against Chase. "I got three more chapters and you're all mine." Jade leaves and Donald chuckles.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing."

"Well, I disagree." Donald says. "That was definitely something."

Chase grins.

_**LOCKER ROOM **_

Beck walks up to Tim, who slips pills into Beck's hands. "Okay, I got them." Tim said, sighing. "Are you sure about this?"

"Have you met my dad?"

Tim turns to completely face Beck. "Okay, here's the deal. These are basically amphetamines. They're like steroids on speed or speed on steroids." Tim explains. "Anyway, you got be careful, Beck."

"Whatever gets me jacked for Cove City, man?"

"Here. These will definitely do that." Tim closes his locker. "Anyway, if you grow breasts...I get first peek." Tim starts to walk away. "You're welcome."

Beck swallows a pill.

_**Gym **_

During practice, Beck's being extremely aggressive. The whistle blows once someone makes a foul. "Hold it!" Whitey shouts. "Beck, you've got to get off his back."

"Why don't you get off my back, Whitey?"

"How would you like to call that a practice?" Whitey asks.

"Whatever, man, that's fine by me." He slams the ball down and starts to walk away.

"Beck!" Whitey shouts after him. Beck turns back around.

"What! Huh! What the hell do you all want from me?"

"Just walk away, son. Walk away." Beck walks away and Whitey blows his whistle. "Fight ball up top." Chase looks after Beck, filled with curiosity of what was wrong with him.

_**Beck's Locker**_

Bree walks over and grabs his shoulder. Beck swings around, surprised, and Bree laughs. "Very funny." Beck comments.

"Hey, are you okay?" Bree asks. "Chase said you had some trouble at practice yesterday."

"Chase needs to mind his own business. We got a game coming up, that's all. I just got a little intense.

"Are you, uh, okay? You're shaking Beck."

"My heart's racing too." Beck responds. Bree puts her hand over his heart. "That's what happens when I'm around you." Bree smiles at him as he continues. "So, your house tonight right, for tutoring?"

Bree nods and asks, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a bad day yesterday. See you tonight."

"Yeah." Bree walks away, and Beck waits until he's sure she won't turn around. He then swallows another pill.

_**Douglas Davenport's Motors**_

"If you came here to lecture me or argue, I get enough of that at home with the wife." Douglas says as he walks past Whitey, who had just walked in. Whitey follows him.

"I came here to talk about Beck." Whitey says. "His behavior concerns me."

"Really." Douglas says, turning to face him. "You put Chase on the team, give away his position, kick him off the team bus 30 miles away from home, and now you're worried."

"You forgot, uh, pressuring and belittling him. Of course, that happens at home, doesn't it?" Whitey asks. "I remember when you came to me. You were a scrawny freshman with a hell of a jump shot. You loved the game. What the hell happened along the way?"

"You happened. There was always something for you to pick apart, something that wasn't good enough. But you are right. I did love the game. I simply despised the way you controlled it."

Whitey asks, "Who's controlling Beck now? You'd be ashamed if you learned to hate that person like you hate me."

"I might be tough on him, Whitey." Douglas says, walking into his office and sitting down at the desk with Whitey still in tow. "But then I'm not the one who told him the sun wouldn't if he lost his next game."

Whitey looks at him then walks out of Douglas' office.

_**Weight Room **_

Beck's lifting weights when Chase walks in. Once he sees him, Beck puts down the weights. "You really laid into Whitey yesterday." Chase brought up the subject of yesterday's practice.

"He deserved it."

"So Cove City's pretty tough, eh?"

Beck sits up, "They suck."

"Listen man, I know you're under a lot of pressure from your dad..."

"Hey!" Beck interrupted him. "You don't know anything about my dad, alright? Maybe if you knocked out a shot every now and then, I wouldn't have to carry us out there."

_**Outside the School**_

Jade catches up with Chase and hands him the book. "I'm all finished. Now it's my turn."

"Hey, hey, hey, not so fast." Chase responds. "Did you like it?"

"Did I like it or did I read it? The book's about how a guy loses his integrity and gives into temptation which is exactly what I see you tonight with me."

"Right." Chase laughs. "Well, a deal's a deal, right?"

"That's right, baby. A deal _is _a deal."

_**Bar - Night **_

Chase and Jade are at a pool table. "Here you go." Jade shows two IDs to the bartender. The bartender responds, "Thank you, Gretchen and Henry."

"Those were fake IDs." Jade informs him when they're out of the bartender's earshot. "I used your year book photo." Jade easily knocks a ball into one of the pockets.

"I didn't know you could shoot pool."

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

"Really, like what?"

"Like...I love it in the summer when there's heat lightening at night. And up until fourth grade, I called squirrels squirrlers." Chase laughs when Jade continues. "And I love beating boys at school." She paused. "Oh my god, a smile! Is Chase Davenport _actually _having fun?"

"I have fun."

"Sure you do. You're like the most serious guy I met."

"Fine." Chase turns around and grabs a beer. He takes a sip. "Does that make you happy?"

"A little."

"Well, just as long as you don't feel cheated. You read a book, so I drink a beer. We're even right?"

Jade laughs. "Wait, did you think this was the think you have to do with me?"

"Well, yeah."

"No. This isn't it. This is just drinks before the thing." Jade stops. "Bottoms up..." They clink their glasses.

_**Bree's Bedroom **_

Bree sits at her computer while Beck looks at a bulletin board of photographs. "Beck, are you going to pace all night or can we get started?" She asked.

"Are these all your brothers and sisters?"

"Yeah. I'm the youngest. I don't think my parents know what to do with the silence." She responds as Beck sits down on her bed.

"So a month ago, did you think we'd be alone in your bedroom?" He asked, watching Bree turn away from the computer.

"Oh, but we're not alone in my bedroom. We have the forefathers with us."

"Beck, can you just get serious for a minute?"

"Oh, I'm serious. Come here." He grabs her hand and pulls her to him. Bree joins Beck on the bed and the bed and the start kissing. Soon, Bree's on her back. She pulls away and looks in his eyes.

She states, "My parents could come home."

"Come on..." He starts to unbutton her shirt.

"Beck, come on, stop it." She pleads. He doesn't stop. "Come on...don't...hey!" She pushes him off.

"What?" He asks as she gets up.

"God...I think you should go."

"You're kidding, right?"

Bree walks over to the door and opens it. "Bree...alright, Bree, I'm sorry. We can study. It's fine."

She responds, "I'd like you to go."

"Unbelievable." He mutters, getting up to leave. Bree stands in the doorway.

_**Cat's Bedroom **_

She's working on her drawing "I've wanted this for so long..." The t is no longer there, so it says, "And now we can have it."

_**The Bar**_

Chase and Jade are drinking...a lot. "Don't you love weird science?" She asks. Chase nods, setting his drink down.

"Ah, the family jewels."

"He doesn't even have a license, Lisa." Chase laughs.

_**Cat's Room **_

Cat is on the phone, calling Chase.

_**The Bar**_

Chase's cell phone rings and he looks at it. "Out of area?" Chase questions.

"Booty call?"

_**Cat's POV**_

She's still on the phone and we hear. "Hey, this is Chase's cell phone. Please leave a message."

_**The Bar **_

There's heavy eye contact between Chase and Jade. "Where are we?" Chase asks.

"Where we were having fun..."

"Mmm-hmm, I'm glad we did this."

"Good. So, what's your take on tattoos?"

"I don't know. It depends."

"Come here." She grabs his hand and leads him into the back room. Leaning against a wall, she pulls him closer. "What do you think about this tattoo?" She starts undoing her pants. Jade has a small tattoo on the inside of her right hip.

"Mmm, that tattoo is very, very...sexy."

"That seems like the right answer." Jade leans in and kisses him. The kisses grow in passion.

_**Chase's House**_

After his date with Jade, Chase attempts to sneak in, but Donald's there. He turns on the light. "Donald! Hey man."

"Are you okay?" Donald asks, crossing his arms over his chest. He is obviously angry."

"I'm perfect." Chase slurs.

"Have you been drinking?" He asks. Chase nods and gestures "a little" with his finger.

"Mmm-hmm, oh Donald, there is this girl."

"You know you had me worried sick, Chase?" Donald asked. "Why don't you go and sleep it off and we'll deal with this tomorrow?" Donald walks over to the fridge and Chase starts walking away.

_**Davenport House **_

Douglas' sitting at the table, reading a newspaper, when Beck walks in the next morning. "What are you doing, dad?" Beck asked. "Are you still looking for your name in the box scores?"

"Hey! Knock it off and get serious. You've got a big game coming up." Douglas paused and laughed. "And you think you're gonna break my scoring record."

_**Chase's Room **_

Chase is standing in front of the mirror in his jersey when Donald walks in. "Come on, Tara Reid, you're gonna be late." Chase is holding a cloth against his arm as he turns around and Donald walks further in. "What's up?" He asks, pointing to the cloth.

"Nothing."

Donald asks, "What are you hiding?" Chase takes the cloth off and shows a tattoo on his arm, kind of like the one Jade had.

"Check that out." Chase responded with a smile.

"Tell me that's a joke." Donald demanded. Chase shakes his head. "No, no, no. Just, just...wipe it off, okay."

"Donald, it's a tattoo."

"A tattoo of what?"

"It's an ancient symbol for fun."

"Oh, it's for fun? I thought I was for freaking fool."

"Donald..."

"Chase, your mom trusted me. She's gone five days and now you scar yourself for life."

"It's a tattoo. There is no just. What were you thinking? This is a bunch of crap. You're out half the night, you're drunk, and now you got a tattoo. What, did you join the navy too?" He asked. Chase shakes his head, no. "You took advantage of me, Chase. "You'd have never would've pulled a stunt like this with your mom here."

"What stunt?" Chase asked. "You mean enjoying myself for once? You said it yourself. My mom's not here. Is she?"

"Your ass is grounded." Donald starts to walk away, but Chase calls him.

"Donald..."

"Bread and water hardcore grounded. Start now. You know...I expected more from you." Donald exits and Chase looks upset.

_**Outside the School**_

Chase and Bree are sitting at a table outside. "What did you do last night?" She asked.

"Nothing; what about you?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Well...actually, I kind of made out with Jade."

"What?" Bree questioned.

"...while I was drunk."

Bree laughs. "Oh. Wow, slow night for you. What happened?"

"Well, we went out as friends and things just kind of escalated."

"Yeah, sounds like it. You and Jade West; please."

"What? Is that so strange?"

"Yeah, it is."

"You know, she's different than people see?" Chase declares. "You of all people should understand that."

"I've been kissing Beck." Bree pauses.

"If I told you not to do that anymore, would you listen?"

"Would you?"

"Maybe."

"Probably not." Both of them say.

"Yeah," Bree paused. "So what about Cat?"

"Yeah, you can kiss her if you want."

"I'm serious."

"Look, I told her how I felt. She didn't feel the same way..."

"Maybe she's just not ready." Bree suggested.

"Nah, she just wants to be friends."

"So...are you and Jade West like a thing now?"

"No. We went out and we had fun."

"Alright, well, if that's what you want. I mean, you deserve to be happy."

"Yeah, you too." Chase responds.

In a different area, Cat's sitting at a table and Jade walks up. "Hi friend," Jade greets her, sitting down next to her. "Guess who I went out with last night. I'll tell you. Chase."

"Define went out."

"We met at a bar, shot some pool, and had a few drinks."

"Chase Davenport?"

"Yep, you didn't tell me he was such a good kisser." Jade says. Cat looks shocked and a little upset. "I gotta go." Jade leaves and Cat looks after her.

_**Old Abandoned Building**_

"Hi..." She awkwardly greets Douglas when she walks in to find him already in there, standing by a ladder.

"So, what do you think?" Douglas asks.

"Uh, uh, about what?"

"We could put a long counter here, some retro books."

Deb responds, "I don't follow."

"Deb's Diner; the hottest little place in town..."

"Douglas, I don't want a diner." Deb states. "What's this really about?"

"You tell me."

"I told you. I'm simply trying to help Karen."

"You hardly know the woman."

"Well, that's not true. But for the sake of discussion, let's say you're right. Let's say I'm doing it to help you."

"Me?"

"What do you feel when you see Chase? I mean it was different when we never saw him, but now..."

"What do you want me to say?" Douglas interrupts her.

"Anything; something honest..."

"Okay, then how does this sound? I was a kid, I made a decision. And I'm tired of you and everyone else holding it over my head every day of my life. So if you're running that little café so you can find absolution for me, forget it. I don't need it and I don't want it." Douglas storms out.

_**Tutoring Center **_

Bree and Cat sit at a table. Cat has a sad expression on her face as Bree asks, "What's going on? You said you wanted to talk."

"Do you think second chances are a lie?" Cat asked.

"Well, it depends on who you're dealing with, I guess."

"Yeah..." Cat pauses. "How are things going with you and Beck?"

"Um, not so great; I don't know what he wants us to be. Are we a couple? Are we just hanging out? Is it for sex because if it is..."

"If it is what?"

"That's not enough for me."

"Bad experience?" Bree looks up, smiling and Cat gasps. "What, are you...are you a virgin?!"

"Yeah. So what if I am?"

"Good for you." She responds. Bree laughs. "So what are you going to do?"

"Try and get some answers I guess."

"Did Chase tell you what happened between us?"

"Yeah. He just said that you weren't ready for a relationship."

"Did he tell you about Jade?"

"That they went out? Yeah...are you okay with that?" Bree asked.

"He's fair game. Plus, she's really not the dating kind, if you know what I mean." She responded. Bree smiles. Cat asks, "Is connecting with someone really this complicating or is it simple and we just make it worse?"

"For me, it's complicated. You just make it worse." Both of them laugh.

_**Chase's Room**_

Chase is getting ready for the game and Donald walks in, carrying some tape. "Hey, I got you some tape." He throws the roll of tape and Chase easily catches it.

"For the tattoo, you gotta cover it for the game, right?"

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Let me see it." Donald says, walking closer. Chase pulls up the arm of his shirt so Donald can see it. It looks infected with spots of blood throughout it. "Geez, Chase, did you get this thing in some back alley in the Philippines? You know, you can get Hepatitis, HIV from..." Donald pauses. "Does it hurt?"

"A little."

"Well, we'll get it checked before the game." Donald starts to walk away.

"Donald, man, you worry too much." He says. Donald turns around.

"I've got to worry once for myself and once for your mother."

_**Davenport House**_

Beck's doing pull ups on a bar in the door. "Your arms are going to be dead for the game tonight." Douglas speaks, walking over to him. Beck takes a break and gets down.

"Yeah, you wish."

"No I don't. I'd love for you to break my record, Beck. I just don't think you will." He says.

"We'll see about that." Beck responds as Deb enters.

"Good news and bad news, Beck. Bad news is I have to be at the café so I'm gonna be missing your game. Good news is Bree can be there."

"Whatever." Beck walks out.

Douglas comments, "At least one of us will be there."

Deb sighs, looking upset.

_**Outside the Gym **_

Beck's walking towards the gym and Bree chases after him. "Beck!"

He turns back to her and says, "Not now, Bree."

"Okay, but after the game, can we get some food and talk?"

"Bree, I said not now, okay?"

"Why are you being like this?" She asked.

"Because I can, okay? That's how it works. People are mean and life's a bitch."

Bree asks, "What is your problem?"

"What's my problem? My problem's on the other side of the wall, and in five minutes, if I'm not perfect, they're going to eat me alive. That's my problem."

_**Field House**_

The game's almost through and Leo is sitting on the bleachers, making sports announcements. "That's 38 points for Beck Davenport tonight and we're early in the fourth quarter. He's 5 points from breaking the all-time high against Cove City, set of course by He-Who-Won't-Be-Named." The game continues as Beck shoots another basket. "Another 4 pointer for Beck and now he's a basket away from the record."

"Yeah, baby!" Beck shouts in excitement. He grabs the ball again and starts running to the hoop to shoot it. Beck's stopped by a Cavalier player, who he knocks out of the way and makes the basket. The whistle blows.

"No basket!" The referee shouts.

"Oh, no basket!" Leo shouts into the microphone. "Beck Davenport is whistled for charge."

"He was moving at speed!" Beck shouts at the referee. "What are you talking about?"

"One! Two! Three! Easy son!"

"Time out!" Whitey shouts.

"Keep your eyes on the game!"

"Time out!"

The referee walks to Whitey and says, "Coach, you better watch you boy!"

"What's he doing?" Bree asks, sitting in the audience.

"Beck," Whitey tells him. "I don't care how may point's you've got, but if you keep this up, I'll move you so far down the bench, they'll have to pump air into you." Whistle blows and all the boys get up. They hit their hands together.

"Just give me the ball." Beck tells Chase.

"Alright, let's go fellas; defense on three! One! Two! Three! Defense!" The team runs back onto the court.

"Are you alright?" Chase asks Beck.

"I will be 2 points from now." The whistle blows and the game is back in action. Tim steals the ball from Cavalier. Chase has the ball, but he's not throwing it. The Cavaliers are starting to crowd Beck. Chase throws the ball to him, and Beck catches it. But something's wrong; Beck's practically leaning against the Cavalier behind him, who'd put his hands on his back to try to get the ball. Beck's vision starts to close up so he can barely see Chase. Douglas, in the audience, looks concerned, sharing the same sentiment with Bree. Everyone looks concerned. Beck drops the ball and starts to fall down. The Cavalier behind him, not knowing that Beck's passing out, goes for the chance and grabs the ball, leaving Beck to fall on the hard court.

"Oh!" The audience stands up in front of Chase who looks concerned as well. Tim's reached Beck's side and he taps Beck.

"Coach! Coach!" Tim shouts frantically. Whitey has reached Beck. He puts a hand on the Beck's chest as the team gathers around.

_**Emergency Room **_

Beck's lying on a hospital bed/stretcher and Douglas' at his side. Beck wakes up, vision a little blurry as he sees Douglas looking into his eyes. His hearing is a little echo-y when Douglas asks, "Easy, son. You're okay. Can you hear me?"

"Yeah." Beck replies.

"You collapsed during the game." Douglas explains as a doctor walks up to Chase.

"Beck, how are you feeling?" The doctor asks.

"I have to piss."

The doctor laughs, "You were severely dehydrated. We have you in these ice packs, because your body temperature was very high. Now, I need to ask you some questions about the supplements you're taking." Douglas looks at Beck as the doctor continues. "Uh, Benzedrine, Ephedrine..." Beck shakes his head. "Anabolic steroids, Anadrol, Dianabol..." Beck shakes his head, no. "Okay. What about speed? And uh...cocaine, ecstasy?"

"Hey, Doc, he's an athlete, not a junkie," Douglas interrupts him. "Okay?"

"And he's also a kid."

"True, but he's my kid? So how about you play a little more doctor and a little less detective?"

"Mr. Davenport, could I speak with you?" The doctor heads out to a hallway. Douglas turns to Beck.

Douglas says, "Listen to me, son. You're going to be fine, okay? You've been hitting it a little hard lately. We'll back a notch or two. You'll be good as new. Hell, the scouts won't even remember this come to post season." Douglas joins the doctor out in the hall.

"The early results tell me that your son is going to be fine, physically."

"That's great." Douglas responds.

"But they also tell me he's taking some sort of amphetamine."

"There's got to be some me mistake."

"Mr. Davenport, these kids are under a lot of pressure to perform, and granted, it could be an isolated case, but there could be a more serious problem."

"Look, Doc, I appreciate your concern, I really do. But I gotta tell you. I know my son. And if he says he's clean, he's clean. So if you label him an addict, you take away his future. So unless you've got your results 100 percent accurate, you're looking at a lawsuit you don't want. Now from now where I stand, your job is to get him well. I'll do the rest. Are we clear?"

_**Karen's Café**_

Deb's working behind the counter when Bree runs through the door. "Hey." She greets Deb. "I was on my way to check on him, and then I realized you were here, so I turned around and came back. You should go. How is he?"

Deb has no idea what she's talking about.

"Who?"

"Beck..."

"What about him?"

"Nobody told you, I guess. Um...this is awkward. Um, Beck collapsed on the court during the basketball game. He's in the emergency room with Douglas right now."

"Oh my god...Bree, will you close up the café for me? I got to go." Deb starts to grab her purse and her car keys.

"Yeah, sure, any time." Bree responds, watching as Deb ran out of the café.

_**Emergency Room **_

Douglas' talking on his cellphone, outside of Beck's cubicle, "I appreciate it, Donald. Thanks." He ends the call. He walks over to Beck's cubicle and slides back the curtain. "How are you doing, son?" He's not there. Deb walks into the emergency room, extremely worried.

"He's okay." Douglas says, turning to her. Deb breathes a sigh of relief. She notices the empty bed.

"Where is he?" Douglas meets her gaze. She realizes he doesn't know.

_**Whitey's Office**_

Whitey puts a "W" over Cove City, as in "win" then he tears down the sheet. He looks extremely upset, and then Donald walks in. "Hey." Donald pauses as he leans against the doorway. "I, uh, talked to Douglas. Beck's going to be fine." Whitey breathes a sigh of relief.

"You know why they made whiskey, Don?" Whitey paused. "For the poor fool that wakes up after 35 years and discovers he's part of the problem." Whitey stopped, pouring a beverage into two glasses into a cup and handing one of them to Donald. "Well, no more. I'll forfeit the damn games before I lose a boy to that. I've got to be the sorriest son of a bitch on the planet.

"Well, Karen left me to watch Chase." Donald responds, walking over to sit in a chair. "And uh, he got drunk and then got a tattoo."

"Well, I take it back." They clink glasses.

WHITEY: You know why they made whiskey, Keith? [Pause] For the poor fool that wakes up after 35 years and discovers he's a part of the problem. [Pause] Well, no more. I'll forfeit the damn games before I lose a boy to that. I've got to be the sorriest son of a #%$ on the planet.

_**Davenport House**_

Douglas walks in ahead of an angry and worried Deb. "I tried to call you but you weren't answering your phone." Douglas shouts.

"That's because I ran out of the café with nothing but my car keys and the fear that my son was dying!"

"Oh, and that's my fault?"

"After Bree walked in...How long was that, Douglas? 20 minutes after Beck collapsed, a half hour, maybe?"

"My first concern was Beck. You're overreacting."

"Oh. Overreacting?" Deb asks. "That my son nearly died and my husband didn't see fit to call?"

Douglas rolled his eyes. "Where is he, Douglas? He could be anywhere. He could be unconscious."

"Get a hold of yourself!" Douglas shouted. "The doctor said he's out of harm's way."

"Well, the doctor was wrong, because as long as you control him the way you do, he'll be in harm's way."

"Oh, okay. Yeah, I get it. I'm to blame. It's gotta be my fault." He responds sarcastically.

"Yeah."

"Would you consider this, lady? If you weren't off helping your little friend Karen and her café, you might've been there for him like I was."

Deb because even angrier, "You smug son of a bitch. I want you out of this house!"

"Deb..."

"I said get out!"

"It's been an emotional night..."

"NO, no, no, Douglas. It's been a night of clarity and it's time for you to go."

"It's my house."

"Fine, then I'll go, but either way, Beck stays with me."

"Don't do this."

"I'll say it one more time, Douglas." She warns. "Pack a bag and get our, or so help me God, I will stab you in your sleep." Douglas starts to walk away. "And you better pray that my son's okay."

Douglas stops to look at Deb. "Do you really think Beck would choose you over me?" Deb suddenly looks destroyed.

_**Bree's Room**_

Bree is pacing back and forth in her room, talking on her phone, leaving a message on Beck's phone. "Hey, it's me. Um, I guess I'm just worried about you. I really hate the way we ended things." Beck suddenly appears behind her at the door.

"So do I." He says. Bree quickly turns around and sighs of relief. She runs to him and hugs him tightly, leaving a slight grip on his shirt before pulling away. "Nobody answered the door."

"They're gone for the weekend." Bree turns off the phone and sets it down. "How are you?"

"Not so good. Can I..." Beck paused. It's bittersweet and both are upset. "I made a lot of mistakes, Bree. "Sometimes, they were because of my dad, sometimes by choice." He sits down on her bed, taking her hand. "I just can't do it anymore."

Bree is almost crying. "It's okay..."

"No, it's not okay. I'm not okay. I lived for tonight. I was so scared. I'm still terrified. Then I saw you, and I promised myself that if I could just get up and walk over to you, and tell you how much I need you, and how much I want you, that nothing else matters." Bree smiles and they kiss.

_**Chase's House**_

Someone knocks on Chase's door and he answers it, seeing Cat standing on the mat. "Cat?" He questions.

"I heard about Beck."

"Yeah, he's gonna be okay." Chase paused. "So...what's up?"

"Chase, I made a mistake. When you said you wanted to be with me, I got...I got scared, but..."

"Cat..." Chase starts to say, but Cat holds up her hand.

"But, the truth is," Cat continues. "I want to all the same things that you want and I want them with you."

Chase looks at her. Jade walks out from the other room, wearing Chase's gray sweatshirt. She hasn't noticed Cat. "Okay, superstar, are you ready to score?" Jade suddenly notices Chase, who looks taken aback. "Hey, we missed you after the game tonight."

"Yeah, I just...I guess I just kind of got turned around." Cat starts to leave, but Chase calls her back. She stops and looks at Jade, who looks at Chase, who looks back at Cat.

_**Davenport's House**_

Douglas has a suitcase as he walks toward the door. Deb watches as he leaves.

_**Trophy Case**_

Whitey walks out of the gym, closing the door behind him. On the door is a piece of paper. It says, "Basketball Canceled until Further Notice."

_**Bree's Bedroom **_

Beck and Bree are still kissing, and Bree gets up and walks to the door. "Bree..." Beck says quietly. Bree turns to look at him. "Can I stay with you for tonight?" He asked. She closes her bed room door.

_**Chase's House**_

Cat, Chase, and Jade all look at each other, all upset. Chase looks at Jade. She stares at him, heartbroken.

"_What a frightening thing is the human, a mass of gages and dials and registers...and we can read only a few. And those perhaps not accurately." - Lucas Scott _

**Next chapter - You Gotta Go There to Come Back:** Chase and Cat try to redefine their friendship after Chase chooses to be with her best friend, Jade.


	10. You Gotta Go There to Come Back

_**A/N: Since real life people can't be in fanfics, "Luke Carves" is actually Gavin Degraw. **_

Chapter 10 - You Gotta Go There to Come Back

_**Chase's Room **_

The next morning, Chase wakes up in bed and gets up. He walks into the kitchen to see Donald in the kitchen. When Donald looks up, he comments, "Well you look like hell."

"I didn't get much sleep." Chase responds.

"Why's that?" Donald asks. "What's up?"

"Have you had a tough decision to make and you wonder if you made the right choice?"

"Well, what kind of choice are you talking about?"

"Well..." There's a knock on the door and Jade enters with coffee.

"Moring boyfriend, again..." She greets him, giving him a kiss when she reaches him.

"Thank you."

"I think you're good." Donald interrupts them.

Chase laughs. "Donald, this is Jade. Jade, this is my uncle, Donald."

"Hi." He greets her.

"We gotta get out of here, alright." Chase declares.

"Alright," Donald says. "Don't forget your mom is calling from Italy 6pm sharp."

"Oh, right. I'll be here, promise."

"Okay." Chase and Jade walk out.

_**Bree's Bedroom **_

Bree and Beck are asleep in each other's arms, still in their clothes from the previous night. "So, if my parents come home, I'm gonna act like I have amnesia, so don't freak out if I pretend not to know you." Bree informed him.

"Look, I think I should get back to the madness." Bree moans disapprovingly. "But hey, if I could, I'd stay like this all day."

"Okay." She kisses him and he sits up. "Beck, about last night."

"Hey, look...it's not about sex with me okay? When you're ready, I'll be too."

"Come here." Bree sits up and kisses him then lies back down.

_**Karen's Café **_

"Special Delivery for Mrs. Douglas Davenport." Douglas enters with roses. Deb sighs and looks up at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to apologize for last night. We were both spent. We both said things we regret...at least I know I did."

"Douglas..." Deb starts to say something but Douglas continues.

"These are for you." He hands her the roses. "And I made a reservation at Chatley Resort. Remember the view?"

"Douglas...if you're in the mood to mend fences, start by devoting a weekend to your son, one without your inflated expectations of him. If you hadn't noticed, the only quality time you've spent with him lately was in an emergency room. You figure out how to make sure that never happens again then maybe you and I can talk."

_**Mission Creek High **_

"It's not that hard, alright? Cat and I just don't make sense as a couple. She said so herself." Chase responds as he and Bree walk down the corridor outside of school.

"And then she took it back."

Chase asks, "Now what are you, her lawyer?"

"I'm just...look, I've seen Cat really try to make an effort to turn things around and it just sucks that she got bit the first time she reached out to somebody, you know?"

"Bree, I'm not the bad guy here, okay? Cat's just too...hard."

"Unlike Jade who I understand is nice and easy."

"Excuse me." Chase responds as they sit on a bench. "She makes me laugh. She's honest, she's not afraid to be herself. Okay? Plus she's not covered head to toe in issues. What's so bad about that?"

"Nothing, if you're happy, I'm happy."

"Are you?"

"Yeah."

_**Another Part of the School**_

Cat is kneeling on the ground, drawing something when Jade walks up to her. "Hey, I've been two-waying you all day." Jade says. "Where have you been?"

"I haven't been anywhere, really."

"I wanted to talk to you about Chase. You left so quick the other night. What was that all about?"

"I was just returning a CD I borrowed." Cat lied. Jade looks like she doesn't know what else to say.

_**Robbie and Chase**_

Robbie is sitting against a tree when Chase walks up to him.

"Late night?" Chase asked.

"Yeah."

Chase laughs, "Who's the girl?"

"You don't know her.

"Come on man." Chase helps him up. "We're gonna be late for practice."

_**Outside the Gym **_

The basketball gym is in front of the door leading to the gym. They see a sign on a door that says "Basketball Cancelled until Further notice". Beck pulls the sign off the door and reads it. Whitey walks out to them.

"Well, it's nice to see you vertical. How are you feeling?" Whitey asked Beck.

"Same as always...what's this all about?" He holds up the sign.

"It seems to me, we've lost track of what this game's supposed to be about." Whitey suddenly looks at Chase. "Myself included, and I want you to take this time and think about why we're really out there. Until then, there'll be no practice." Whitey puts the sign back on the door and goes inside.

Tim comments, "This sucks."

"Speak for yourself." Robbie responded. "Whitey just did me a favor." All the guys walk away.

"Yeah, me too." Beck says and walks away, leaving Chase alone.

_**After School - Cat and Chase**_

Cat is getting into her car and Chase runs up behind her. "Cat." He starts to speak.

She asks, "What?"

"Look, about last night, I feel really bad about what happened..."

"Can we not relive it please?" She asked. "I'd had this really weird, long day and I just...I probably wasn't making sense.

"No, you were. But I had no idea you were coming over last night. You know and Jade and I were just..."

"...make a really good couple." Cat cut him off. "I'm happy for you. You're a good guy Chase and she's my best friend."

_**Karen's Café**_

Bree and Deb are working in Karen's café. As Deb is cleaning, Bree is sitting at the table. Deb suddenly says, "Business seems to have dropped off lately and I'm beginning to take it personally."

Bree responds, "Oh don't, no. It's the University, they're on a break. It'll pick up soon."

"Oh."

"You know," Bree replies. "Karen actually always thought we should do live entertainment to bring people in, like um...like an open mic night."

"Hmmm, well that's a great idea."

"You think?"

"Yeah, absolutely, but let me run it by Chase first. You know, to make sure he's okay with the idea."

Bree says, "Yeah or I could talk to him. He hasn't popped in much lately."

"Yeah, I've noticed. No, that's one of the reasons I want to talk to him myself."

"Ok. Well, if you have this ghost town under control, then I have a study session with Beck."

"Bree, I'm glad you're seeing Beck. He's lucky to have someone like you."

"Thanks. Bye!" Bree responded before running out of the café.

_**Cat's Room **_

She's drawing on her bed when Jade walks in behind her. She picks up a Polaroid and takes a picture of Cat. She looks back at Jade when she hears a click. "What are you doing?"

"I'm documenting a day without cheer; hour one." Jade responded. "There's something wrong with this picture though. Oh I know what it is, I'm not in it!" Jade hops on Cat's bed next to her, grabs the camera, and takes a picture of both of them. "Would you please draw your freaky drawings later? There is no basketball, we're young, we're gorgeous, we have all this free time so let's go do something fun."

"What about Chase?" Cat asks. "I'm sure he'd be up for some fun and probably some Polaroid's too."

"Chase; the monkey in the room."

"Elephant."

Jade laughs, "Whatever. Look, I came to make sure there's no weirdness about that. You're my best friend and I would never cut you out for a guy. Ok? No matter whom he is or how happy he makes me."

"Jade, I'm cool with you and Chase."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just wanna draw for a little bit. How about a rain check?"

"Count on it." Jade holds up her fist and Cat her fist with hers. "Tramps over bros. I'm gonna borrow this though incase he's feeling frisky." Jade gets up and holds the camera up. "Thanks!"

Jade leaves and Cat looks at the picture of them.

_**Whitey's Office**_

"Tell me I heard this wrong." Douglas walks into Whitey's office without knocking. Whitey knocks on the table and looks up at him.

"It's called knocking."

"You did not just cancel practice." Douglas ignores his comment.

"You ever played the ponies Douglas? What do you think of a Whirly Bird in the third?" Whitey asks. "Do you think that's a win place or show?"

"Have you completely lost it? You have a perfect season."

Whitey laughs. "You see that sign in the gym? It's got my name on it. It means I call the shots. The game's not fun anymore Douglas. Somewhere along the way, we've strayed off the path."

"You're supposed to be their coach, a leader."

"That is something that we agree on." Whitey stands up. "We've driven him too hard, Douglas."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Dehydration. We both know it's more than that."

"Oh, so now you're a doctor."

"I've taken steps to ease the pressure. I think you'd be well advised to take a couple of days and do the same." Whitey starts to walk out of the room. "Hit the lights on the way out would you?"

_**Beck's House**_

A bag is sitting on the floor when Beck walks in. Douglas notices and asks, "Hey. How are you feeling son?"

"Okay. What's my bag doing here?"

"Well, I packed some things for you."

"Dad, I'm not gonna move to the beach house."

"You're not gonna have to." Douglas responded. "We'll work this out."

"Well then what's this?"

"You and I are going away for the weekend."

Beck asks, "Are you kidding?"

"I already cleared it with your mom. I've got your golf clubs in the back of the car. We've got a 9 am tee-time."

"Dad, you can't just spring things on me like this, alright?" Beck asks. "I had plans this weekend."

"I know you do, with me." Douglas walks out and Beck looks upset.

_**The Park**_

Chase and the guys are playing basketball. Leo is talking into his microphone, "Oh, say it isn't so. Fergie and Skills take it 15-13." They all sit down. Jade drives up and honks at them.

"This guy's got his own personal cheering squad now?" Jun asked.

"How do you know she's not cheering for me?" Fergie questioned.

Skills asks, "What makes you think she's cheering for you?"

"Hey, babe." Chase greets her, walking over to her.

"Hey, Chase. So that means we're gonna get to see a little bit more of you since you got some time on your hands, right?" Skills asked.

Jade looks over at them and replies, "Not if I have anything to say about it boys."

"See, that is whack, dog. We win the game and he gets the girl." Chase and Jade kiss; the guys turn away laughing.

_**Tidal Creek Grocery Store**_

"Chase?" Chase hears someone call his voice at the counter and turns to see Deb. He looks nervous and puts things on the counter.

"Oh, hey, um..." Chase doesn't know what to say.

"I'm not playing hooky from your mom's café. I just ran out of coffee filters."

Chase nods, "Ok. See you later."

"I'm glad we bumped into each other. Uh, Bree and I were talking and we thought it might be fun to start up some live entertainment at the café."

"Are you sure? If you think it's a decision your mom should be making, I understand."

"No, it's...it's a great idea. It's good. Good."

"Good."

"Yeah." Chase turns around, trying to stop the conversation.

"Chase, are you alright?"

"Yeah." Chase tries to sound fine. Jade jumps in front of him without noticing Deb.

"Hey." Jade holds up a box of condoms in front of him. "Don't you think it makes more sense to buy in bulk? Plus...whipped cream for dessert." She holds up whipped cream. Chase looks up Deb. Jade turns around and laughs nervously. "Oh...Hi, Mrs. Davenport."

"Hi. Um...excuse me." Deb walks away. After checking out, Jade and Chase are walking to the car.

"Of all the things to stick in my mouth, it had to be my foot." Jade says as Chase sighs. "Chase, come on. Hold up."

"Did you see the look on her face?"

"Yeah, total judge Judy, which is completely ridiculous considering who her son is."

"She's friends with my mom." Chase states, opening the door for her.

"Right...I forgot that one. Well, you're moms in Europe for the next month, so what are the odds she remembers this?"

"Whipped cream and condoms..." Both of them laugh.

_**Douglas' Car**_

"Are you and mom getting a divorce?" Beck asked, looking at Douglas, who was driving.

"Why?" Douglas asked. "What'd she tell you?"

"She kicked you out of the house, right? That's usually the first step."

"Don't worry; things will get back to normal in no time."

"No, dad, Mom doesn't want things to be back to normal. She wants them to be better."

"Listen to me, Beck. You have a great life, a beautiful home, and a basketball pedigree any kid would die for."

"Yeah, I know. I almost did." His phone rings and he sees its Bree. He answers it. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"_I'm drawing flyers for Open Mic Night and just marveling at my lack of artistic ability. How's the amazing race?" _

"Well," Beck responded. "It's about as well as can be expected."

"_Well...I wish you were here. We're doing this open mic thing at the café tomorrow." _

"So, I'm gone for two hours and you go all Hollywood on me."

"_Yeah, that's me, Glamour Girl. Hey, you want to say hi to your mom?" _

"No, uh, it's bad timing. Look, let me give you a call back alright? Bye."

_**Karen's Café**_

Bree hangs up the phone and Deb walks up. "How's he doing?" Deb asked, looking at Bree.

"Well, there was no gun play or screaming so I'm assuming pretty well. He said to say hi." Bree responds as Deb looks at the flyers Bree had created.

"Bree, these um, these flyers..."

Bree laughs, "Suck! Yeah, uh-uh, I know. I know. I'm trying everything." She looks out the window to see Cat walking down the street. "Hang on!" She runs out of the café past Donald who's walking. "Hi Donald, Bye Donald!"

"Nice talking to you too." Donald mumbles, walking to the counter. Deb looks at him.

"Hey, I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah, I heard you could use the business."

"Uh, yeah, that too."

"So, let me guess, Douglas did something."

"Of course, but actually this is about Chase. I saw him at the grocery store today. He was with a girl."

"Oh, yeah, that's Jade. He's been spending a lot of time with her. I can't say I blame him."

"Uh, they were, buying condoms." Deb pours them both coffees.

"Right."

"I guess you could take comfort in the fact that he's being safe, but you know mistakes happen. I'm a walking poster child for it."

"Oh, boy, Karen's calling tonight. What am I going to tell her? You know, besides the fact that I want what's best for Chase, I just...I don't want to let her down."

"Well, then don't. She's three-thousand miles away. She trusts you to handle this."

"I could always lock him in the cellar." Donald suggested.

"I was going to suggest talking to him."

Donald shouts, "Or that!"

_**Outside Thud Magazine **_

Cat is walking out of THUD magazine when Bree stops her. "Hey." Bree greets her.

"Hey."

"I need your help." Bree informs her. "Don't worry, it doesn't involve orphans or Beck or any major commitment of any kind."

"What does it involve?" Cat asked.

"It involves your artistic ability." Bree holds up her drawings. Cat alughs and takes them.

"Cute." Cat comments.

"I know, they horrible. Can you fix it?"

"Yeah, I can burn them!"

Bree laughs, "Can you come up with a design that doesn't suck?"

"When do you need them by?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay."

"Oh, thank you! You're the best." Bree starts to walk away, but turns back to her. "I take back everything I said about you before we met."

_**Hotel with Douglas and Beck**_

"Welcome back, Mr. Davenport." The man greets him and shakes his hand.

"Thank you?"

"Your room is all ready for you and your wife."

"Uh, actually, there's been a change of plans." Douglas says. "This is gonna be a guy's weekend. This is my son, Beck."

"Oh, well the suit that you requested has a king size." The man says. "Shall I check for a double room?"

"I'd hate to give up that view. Um, I'll tell you what. Why don't you bring up a cot?" Douglas asked.

"Very good." The man says. Beck turns around looking upset.

HE sighs, "Are you kidding me? This was supposed to be a weekend for you and mom?"

"Well, it didn't work out that way, did it?" Douglas asked.

"So, this whole father son thing was just plan B."

"What difference does it make how or why we got here. The point is we're here and we're gonna have a good time." A phone rings and they both check if it's theirs. It's Beck's phone.

"It's Bree." Beck says.

Douglas comments as Beck walks away, "She's got you on a short leash."

"Hello." He greets them.

"Hey, it's Bree!"

"Yeah, I know." Beck does not sound enthusiastic. "Look, it's not a good time right now, alright?"

"Oh, sorry I just..."

"I'll call you back." Beck hangs up.

"Nice work." Douglas says.

The man walks up and asks, "Shall I send up your bags?"

"I have some golf clubs in the back of the car too; I'm taking my son to school on the links tomorrow."

"They'll be waiting on you on the tee in the morning."

"Perfect." The man leaves and Douglas walks towards the room. Beck shakes his head, following. _This is really awkward, _Beck thinks.

_**Chase's Bedroom **_

Chase and Jade are making out in the dark when the lights suddenly turn on and both of them look up. Nervously, Jade says, "Hi, Uncle Donald."

"Jade." Donald responds. "Could you maybe pick this up some other time? I'd like to have a room with Chase."

"Ok." Jade gets her things together and starts to leave, not really knowing what else to do.

"Donald." Chase says.

"Say goodnight Chase."

"I'll call you later." Jade walks out the door. Chase watches her out the window.

Chase asks, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"That's funny; I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"I get it. This is about Deb, right?"

"No. This is, um, about you and some incredibly bad judgment." Donald responds. "And I think you should remember that Deb's the one keeping your mother's business alive while she's gone."

"Yes, but it doesn't give her the right to butt in, alright? I mean look at Beck. The guy gets away with 10 times the crap I do."

"Well, you're not Beck. And you know, that's not the point. I mean, what is this? You couldn't even be home for your mother's phone call tonight?"

"I forgot." Chase says. "What'd you tell her?"

"I told her that you missed her and that you loved her;. And that you were at the library studying. You know, the Chase Davenport that I know is better than this."

"Well, look the Donald Davenport that I know isn't my mother, alright? He's not even her boyfriend. So this really isn't your business."

"Well, that's where you're wrong, because while I'm here it is my business. You know, you might wanna take a long hard look in the mirror and see if the guy staring back at you is the kind of person you want to be." Donald walks out, leaving chase upset on his bed.

_**Golf Course - Morning **_

Beck hit's the golf ball and Douglas laughs. "Well, what do you know; you actually it the fare way this time." He comments. "Watch and learn." Douglas gets in the way of Beck and hits the ball. "Oh, so pretty! My ball cleared yours on the fly. Maybe you wanna hit from the ladies tee next time."

"Wanna drive?" Beck starts walking back to the cart.

Douglas laughs, "I just did!" Beck tries to ignore him.

_**Cat's Room **_

Bree is looking through Cat's music as Cat is drawing on the bed. Bree reads the names of the music, "Vex, Cat Power, and Cheap Trick. You're all over the place!"

"I kind of got a lot of moods." Cat's phone rings. She gets up and hands the picture that Bree as her answering machine picks up on the background. "Alright, it's finished."

"Oh, this is great!" Bree exclaims. "Thank you!"

"No problem."

Jade's voice picks up on the answering machine, "Hello, best friend! Pick up the phone. Don't pretend you're not there, because I can see you on your cry for help webcam."

Cat notices that they're standing in the view of the camera. Bree looks around, "Web cam?"

"It's over there." Cat points to it.

"Hi to you too, tutor girl!" Jade greets Bree.

"Hold on just one second." Cat picks up the phone. "Hello? Look, I'm busy. I promised I would do something." Cat gives Bree a look like she is obviously lying. "Okay, yeah, I'll call you tonight. Bye." She hangs up and points at the flyers. "Do you need help with those?"

"Oh no, you don't have to do that."

"No, yeah I do. I mean, if you want helps.

Bree suddenly understands that Cat needs an excuse not to see Jade. "Yes, I would love help. Yeah, come on."

Cat throws a shirt over the webcam as they leave.

_**Robbie's House**_

Robbie is playing the guitar outside as Chase walks up with a basketball. Chase greets him, "Hey."

"Hey."

"I was just on my way down to the river court. I thought maybe you'd want to shoot around."

"Yeah, it kind of feels weird not having Saturday practice, right?"

Chase sits next to him and sighs, "I'd never thought I'd miss it."

"Yeah, I appreciate it, but I kind of have to stay around the house today."

"What, are you grounded?"

"No, no not exactly."

"Are you sick?" Chase asked. Robbie just looks down not knowing what to say. "Alright, cool, you know what? You don't want to hang out with me man. It's cool. I'll see you later man." He starts to leave, but Robbie stops him.

"Chase, come on in." Robbie and Chase enter the house and Robbie walks over to a crib; Chase soon joins Robbie by the crib. "So, this is Jenny." Chase sees an adorable baby girl.

"Is she..."

"Yeah, yea, she's all mine." Robbie answers, cutting him off, seeing that Chase doesn't know how to put it.

"Wow, that is unbelievable." He watches as Robbie gives a bottle to Jenny. "How old is she?"

"She's six months, nine days, and a couple of hours." Robbie says proudly.

"Who's the mother?"

"Uh, that's...that's a long story, but let's just say she's out of the picture."

"So, you're raising her all by yourself?" Chase asked.

"No, my parents, they work nights. They help out a lot between the three of us; we're handling it."

"That explains a lot of you, but um, why keep her as secret?"

"Oh, come on, you know how people are."

"Yeah, but if you treat this like it's something to be ashamed of, your daughter will carry that around for the rest of her life."

"Well, no, I'm not ashamed of her." Robbie declares. "I'm just trying to protect her."

"You know, my mom did the same thing. When I found out, the truth about who I was, there was a part of me that thought that maybe, she kept it a secret because she was ashamed of me. Trust me; you don't want to hide this." As soon as Chase finishes, Robbie looks down at Jenny.

_**The Streets**_

Cat and Bree are walking and putting flyers on cars. "Are you gonna come?" Bree asks.

"I don't know. I want to. It's just kind of..."

Bree interrupts her, "Jade and Chase. He told me about the other night."

"It's my fault." Cat responds. "I blew it."

"Sorry." Bree apologizes.

"The worst part is though, Jade is my best friend, you know and she doesn't have any idea how much this is killing me. I don't know what kind of karmic monster I was in my past life."

"Probably one of those sirens that lure in sailors and then kill them on the rocks." Cat jokingly pushes her and they laugh before Bree continues. "Look, between you and me, I really don't see Chase and Jade as, like, an epic romance, ok? But I mean, he did ask me to give them a chance, so I kind of owe him that you know?"

Cat asks, "Well, what do you think I should do?"

"The same thing I did."

_**Golf Course**_

Beck is trying to putt, but Douglas keeps on bringing him down. "Never up never in Beck. You really fell apart on that back nine."

"I think you told me that a few times already, dad." Beck putts, but it doesn't go in.

"Well, it was a nice try." Douglas responds. Beck tries not to say anything back as Douglas continues. "Well, you sink this one, you might actually break 100." Douglas laughs. "Alright, focus. Square your shoulders. Loosen your grip. Line it up. Good." Beck takes a full swing and hits the ball past Douglas into the water. "Whoa, what the hell are you doing?"

"Never up never in, right dad?" Beck starts to walk away.

"Hey! Watch it!" Douglas warns.

Beck turns back to him and starts to yell. "You know this whole thing is just another chance for you to pick me apart and show me how much better you are! Well, there you go Dad, you just kicked my ass. Congratulations!" He starts to applaud. "It was really great?"

"Don't make a scene."

"You know what? I almost killed myself for you. You know that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Drugs, dad, took drugs for you!"

"No!" Douglas shouts. "My son would never take drugs."

"It's all about you, isn't it dad? You know why mom kicked you? You're a bully and you don't give a damn about anything other than your own ego!"

Douglas asks, "No! You know what you should do? You should give mom a divorce. You should do her a favor and give mom a divorce. She's never going to be happy with you dad. Nobody is!" Beck walks off the course.

_**Thud Magazine **_

Cat passes a man inside. "Hey." He suddenly greets her even though he doesn't know her.

"Hi." They walk past each other, but Cat looks back at him. "Hey, you're Luke Carves!"

He turns back around. "Oh yeah, that's me."

"Are you playing in town?"

"Yeah, we're doing a gig at Carolina, and an interview."

"Oh, wow. Ok, not to be presumptuous or anything, but you wouldn't be interested in playing in a smaller space, like a much, much smaller place. There's a thing across the street tonight. Open mic night. I know that's way beneath you, but I would score so many major cool points if you world just come and play a couple of songs. I'll stop now."

"Well, what's the name of this place?" He asks.

"Um, Karen's Café?"

"It's low key though, right?"

"No, it's totally low key. Um, maybe I'll see you there."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Okay," Cat responds. "Bye."

_**Chase's House**_

Chase walks in and sits in the kitchen with Donald. Chase greets him, "Hey."

"Hey."

"I kind of said some brutal things last night I wish I could take back."

"Well, obviously, I suck at this. I um, I want to be your friend, but I also want to do the right thing by your mom." Donald responds.

"And I know how important this is to you. I'm not really making it easy am I?"

"Well, at a certain point, it's up to you. It's your life and I think the best thing I can do is back off and let you live it. And if you need help, I'll always be there."

"Thanks."

_**Karen's Café: Open Mic Night**_

The place is packed. Bree meets Cat at the door. She welcomes Cat, "Hey."

"I guess all those flyers weren't a complete waste of trees."

"Thank you so much for your help. Just grab an apron." She starts to walk away and Cat looks at her. "I'm kidding! Sit wherever you want, order whatever you want on the house. I'm glad you came." Bree walks off to serve people.

Jade and Chase walk in. Jade speaks, "So, this is the place."

"This is it."

"It's very buzz worthy." She sees Cat sitting alone in the corner. "Cool clientele too." Chase kisses her forehead and she walks over to Cat. Chase walks to Deb.

"Listen, Deb, um..." Chase paused. "I just wanted to say you're doing a great job. My mom will be happy."

"That means a lot to me. Thanks Chase."

"And about the other night."

"Yeah, yeah I know you think I overstepped my bounds."

"No, it's just that if you have a problem with me, could you just talk to me about it first?"

"You got it." Deb responds. Chase walks away to see Cat and Jade sitting at a table. He walks up to them.

Chase asks, "Hey, mind if I join you?" Jade looks at Cat, waiting for her answer.

"Actually, I was just leaving, I'll see you two." Cat gets up and leaves. Jade looks at her upset and gets up to follow.

Before walking out the door, she tells Chase, "I'll be right back." Jade runs after Cat. She shouts, "Cat!" Cat looks angry that she followed her and turns around. "What's going on? Are you mad at me?"

Almost with tears in her eyes, Cat turns around and responds, "It's not you, Jade. It's me. I thought I was cool with this, but I'm not. I'm sorry."

"With me and Chase?" She asked. "You do not have to feel like a third wheel. You're my best friend. Ok? He gets that."

"It's not that, Jade."

"Then what is it?"

"I just..." Cat looks back at Jade and stops. "You're right. It's the whole third wheel thing. I guess I just missed you."

"Then will you please come inside and hang out? I miss you took, okay? Come on." Cat nods and they hug before walking back inside. They see Bree get on the might.

"Hey," Bree welcomes the crowd. "I just want to remind everyone that the stage is open if anybody has any hidden talent they want to reveal."

Walking in the door, Robbie says, "I'll give it a shot." Jade looks at Chase, surprised that he is there.

"Great, come on up. Thank god. Robbie Shapiro, ladies and gentlemen."

Everyone cheers. Robbie puts Jenny's carrier on the floor and sits with his guitar. Robbie starts to speak into the microphone. "Um, so normally, I only sing for my daughter. But something that a friend said convinced me that I should open up to a wider audience and this seemed like the right time and place. So everyone, this is my daughter, Jenny. And Jenny, this is my whole world."

"Robbie has a baby?" Jade asks Chase. Chase looks at her and smiles. Bree stands next to Cat on the counter.

"Are you okay?" She asks Cat.

"Yeah..." Cat nods, but looks upset. Bree walks away again. Cat looks at Jade and Chase on the couch and they smile at each other.

"Such a lonely boy...couldn't fine the joy with in..." Robbie starts to sing. He's a really good singer. "Such a lonely girl; such a lonely world we're living in. I watch it all go by. I can't find a tear to cry."

Bree picks up the phone to call Beck. Beck walks in the room and stands behind her. Surprising her, he says, "The jerk never called you back did he?" Bree turns around and hugs him. "Believe me; you don't want to talk to him anyways."

"What are you doing here?"

"Look, I'm sorry."

"No, I'm glad you're back." Bree kisses him.

"Yeah, me too! It's like, every time I'm with him, I just get caught in this rip tide, you know, the harder I try to get out, the harder it is for me to keep from downing."

Bree responds, "Maybe you just need to steer clear of the water for a while."

"Hey, Beck, I thought you weren't getting back until tomorrow." Deb says, walking in the room. "What happened?"

"We were keeping score mom." Beck replied sarcastically. "What do you think happened?"

"Hi, honey, I'm sorry. I should've known.

"Whatever, I'm used to it." He puts his arm around Bree and walks out of the room.

_**Front of the Café**_

The song ends and everyone cheers. Cat walks up to Robbie, who puts his guitar bad. "So what, are you married to?" She asks him.

"Nah, it's just me and Jenny."

Cat looks at Jenny then back at Robbie. "She's got your eyebrows."

"Oh, that's not a good thing!" Robbie comments jokingly and they both laugh.

"She's beautiful."

"Thanks Cat." They walk away from each other. Cat meets Luke Carves at the door when he's walking in.

"Thanks for coming." Cat thanks him.

"I thought this was going to be low key."

"Sorry!" She apologizes. "Is it still cool?"

"Yeah, it's alright." He responds.

Beck and Bree are standing along and Chase comes up to them saying, "Listen man, some of the guys and I are gonna go down to the River Court. I wanted to know if you and the team wanted to come."

Beck asks, "Why?"

"It's fun. Don't you remember?" Beck nods and Chase walks away. Bree smiles at Beck and jokingly nudges him. She walks over to the microphone.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Luke Carves!" The crowd cheers as the band starts playing. **(A/N: Italics are the song lyrics)**

_I don't need to be anything other than a prison guard's son _

_I don't need to be anything other than a specialist's son_

_I don't have to be anyone other than a birth of two souls in one_

_Part of where I'm going is knowing where I'm coming from _

_I don't want to be anything other than what I've been trying to be lately_

_All I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mind _

_I'm tired of looking 'round rooms wondering what I gotta do _

_Or who I'm supposed to be_

**River Court**

"Good evening everyone to a historic game of basketball." Leo speaks into the microphone. "I'm Leo Dooley and tonight is the only game that matters."

All the guys are playing together and Chase is on the same team as Beck. Cat and Jade are sitting on top of a car with Jenny between. Bree walks up to them.

"Hey."

"Hey, tutor girl!" Jade greets her back. They all laugh and they ball rolls towards the girls. Robbie goes after it. Cat picks it up and hands it to them. They smile at each other and Jade takes a picture of Robbie, handing it to Cat.

"I guess this answers the gay question." Jade comments.

"Give me this." Bree takes the camera from Jade. "Get in." Cat and Jade lean in towards Jenny and smile. "Cheese!"

Beck scores and is obviously playing well with Chase and his friends. No one notices Whitey and Donald in a car across the park, watching the game.

"I thought you might want to see this, Coach." Donald says. "They've come a long way since we last sat here."

"Uh-huh." Whitey responded. "It makes you wonder where they're all headed."

_**Karen's Café**_

Douglas enters the café, walking over to Deb, who is cleaning up. "Busy night?" HE asks.

"What happened today, Douglas?"

"Oh, you know, we were going to spend the weekend, but we missed you too much."

"I ask you to make good with your son and you make it worse."

"He flipped out on the 18th hole. It was embarrassing."

"Did you badger him to it?" Deb asked. "You have a problem, Douglas. You're competitive and controlling, and you need some help."

"Since when did you become mother of the year? Last I knew, you were out of sigh half the month and out of mind the rest."

"You're right. I have a lot of catching up to do with Beck, but at least I'm trying to help. You on the other hand..."

"What about me?" Douglas asks, interrupting her.

"I want you to see someone. Perhaps a therapist. We'll go as a family."

"Forget it."

"It's not a negotiation Douglas. You get some help or you're not going to see Beck.

Douglas starts to leave, "You really think you're going to stop me from seeing my own son?"

"Try me." She responded. Douglas nods and leaves.

**Next Chapter - The Living Years: Unable to cope with the pressure from Douglas, Beck quits the basketball team. **


	11. The Living Years

Chapter 11 - The Living Years

Douglas, Deb, and Beck are sitting in a therapist's office. The therapist's is the first to speak, "Truth is hard, but hostility stays outside. Who would like to start?" The therapist asks.

"Well, you're the one with all the answers, Doc. Why don't you tell us?" Douglas asks.

The doctor reminds him, "Hostility stays outside."

"Things have just gotten out of hand." Deb says. "We thought we could use some..."

"No,_ YOU_ thought." Douglas interrupted her.

Deb responds, "...objectivity."

"Define "gotten out of hand", Beck."

"Pass." He responds, looking at the doctor.

"We reached the breaking point two weeks ago when my son..."

Douglas interrupts her again, "You hear that? 'My son'."

"Deb is speaking now Douglas."

"Like I was saying, we reached the breaking point two weeks ago when our son collapsed on the basketball court after taking drugs to boost his performance."

"The kid made a mistake." Douglas says. "He knows that."

"His father has been bullying him about the sport since he was old enough to hold a ball."

"Is that true Beck?"

"His mother is so quick to put the blame on me, but up until recently, work always came first."

"Yes, but I changed my behavior Douglas, and you haven't. You can't seem to lose this unhealthy obsession you have with basketball, and how Beck plays it."

"She blames me for her shortcomings as a mother." Douglas interrupts once again.

"Ok." The doctor stops the argument. "I think we got some things out in the open. Beck, do you think that basketball is a part of your family's problem?"

Beck answers, "Part of."

"But you still like playing?"

"I don't know anymore." Beck admits.

"Great. Nice break through, Beck." Douglas gets up to leave. "Thanks Doc."

"Douglas." Deb calls him.

"Hustle up!" Douglas shouts. "No way is this helping."

_**Outside the Office at the Cars**_

Deb and Beck follow Douglas outside and a huge argument erupts between Deb and Douglas. "You're right Douglas; we don't need a shrink to identify this family's problem. You just made it obvious."

Douglas gestures to Beck, "I'm not his only parent Deb. Hey, why don't you ride with your old man, Beck?"

"Stop it, Douglas. Come on, Beck, let's go."

"Let the kid make up his own mind. What do you say son?"

"Beck." Beck looks at both of them and walks away.

Douglas shouts his name, "Beck!"

_**Library **_

Jade and Chase are in the library when Chase picks up a book and puts in front of Jade's face. Chase says, "Here we go. This is the writer I was talking about."

Jade pronounces it wrong, "Somerset Moggum?"

"Well, it's Maugham." He corrects her and reads the back. "Human Bondage."

"Bondage!"

Chase chuckles, "Yeah, it's not like that."

"So, you're good. Are we done here?"

"Well, I just thought that this was a better opportunity for us to spend some time, you know, hang out with each other."

"And it is," Jade replies. "But can we maybe do it someplace that smells a little less funky." Jade suggests.

"Ha-ha," Chase playfully smells the book. "It's the smell of old books."

"Like I said! Come on, it's my turn. Please!"

Chase sighs, "Just keep it legal."

Jade nods.

_**Outside a House at Night**_

Jade and Chase are standing beside a Jacuzzi. Jade starts to take her clothes off, revealing a swimsuit underneath. Soon, they are in the Jacuzzi and Jade starts taking her swimsuit top off. They kiss and Chase pulls away.

"Wait, are you sure your parents won't come home."

"They could." Jade paused. "But, this isn't their Jacuzzi."

"Jade...whose house is this?"

Jade giggles, "I don't know! Does it matter?" She asks and they start to make out.

_**Karen's Café**_

Deb and Donald are at the counter and Deb puts a plate of pancakes and eggs in front of Donald. "Here you go."

"Wow, for the diet special looks pretty damn tasty."

"Oh! Sorry." She realizes that Donald wasn't the one who ordered the plate. She takes the plate to another person.

"Things have worked out pretty well, huh?" Donald asks as Deb walked back over. "Karen's café gets to stay open and I get to see a little more of my sister-in-law."

"Aw."

"So, how are you doing with things?"

"Uh, we had our first counseling session yesterday."

"Douglas and counseling; it's kind of like Hannibal Lector at a salad bar."

"I think he'd like that." Deb responds just as Douglas walks into the café.

"I know you like my women, Donald, but come on! Deb's still my wife."

Donald responds, "She won't be for long if you keep this up.

"I'm taking Beck to dinner tonight." Douglas informs her. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yeah, he needs a break from you."

"You can't stop me from seeing my own son."

"Oh, actually, I can by telling you nicely or calling a lawyer. It's your choice."

"Tell him I'll pick him up at seven." Douglas leaves. Donald looks back at the door then at Deb.

"Tell Beck to come see me." He tells her. "I'll do what I can."

_**Cat's House**_

Chase walks up the steps of Cat's front porch. He sees the door cracked open and hears a noise inside. "Cat?" He grabs the rake and goes inside. "Cat!" He knocks on the table with a rake. He reaches the kitchen to see a man standing in there. "Where's Cat?"

"My guess is that she's dressing for school."

"Who are you?" Chase asked the man

"I'm the guy who's about to take that rake from you and beat your scrawny butt." The man says, looking at him lower the rake in embarrassment when he says, "I'm her father. Who are you?"

"Oh. Sorry. The front door was opened and I thought...I'm Chase."

They shake hands and Mr. Valentine introduces himself, "Larry Valentine."

Cat walks in and says, "Hey dad, do you know where..." She pauses when she sees Chase. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, he's trying to rake me to death." Larry answers jokingly.

"What?"

"I thought you were..." Chase paused. "It's nothing crucial. I'm gonna go put this back."

_**Mission Creek **_

"So, who's the guy?" Jade asks, walking next to Cat outside of the school.

"What guy?" Cat asks.

"The one's that got you smiling."

"That'd be my dad."

"Oh, I'd be smiling too but for entirely different reasons." Jade answered.

"Dude, that's my dad!" Cat shouted, getting what she was saying. "Don't go all horn-dog on me. There's a line."

"Speaking of which, I really don't wanna cross any so tell me if this is totally inappropriate to ask."

Cat asks, "When has that ever stopped you?"

"I need to connect more with Chase."

"I thought you guys were already doing that."

"I mean, the making out thing is great and all but it only goes so far. Can you help a girl out?"

"Yeah." Cat reaches into her bag for a CD. "You know what? Give him this."

"Travis." Jade says.

"Yeah, tell him that tracks eight and eleven make you think of him."

"Great. Wait, make me think of him or make you think of him?" Jade asks.

"Just friends."

"I know, sorry." Jade hugs her. "You're a goddess."

_**Tutoring Center **_

"Did you finish _The Little Prince_?" Bree asked Beck, sitting next to him.

"No, I just rented the movie." Beck replies. "The book is stupid."

"Beck, you're not going to pass French if you keep renting movies."

"Well, it's not like I have a lot of time to just sit around and read."

"So...are you ever going to tell me how it went?"

"The therapist asked me if I really want to play basketball or not."

"Wow," Bree responded. "What did you say?"

"I didn't know what to say. Nobody's ever asked me that question."

"That's really big."

"This last couple of weeks without it, I mean if I didn't play, I might actually have a life."

Bree asks, "What would you do?"

"I don't know. At least I'd have some time to figure it out though. Besides, I'm sure we could find a lot better things to do with our time, right?"

"You think? I think you're really brave. To consider rebuilding who you are, I don't know if I could do that." They share a kiss before Beck pulls away.

"You could. Well, I gotta go."

Bree looks at her watch, "Oh yeah. Hey, um, practice starts back up again today right."

"Yeah, I'm just not sure if I do. I'll see you."

_**Outside School**_

Chase is sitting down, working, when Jade comes up to him. "All work and no Jade make Chase a boring boy." Jade jokes. Chase chuckles and turns to face her.

He greets her, "Hey."

"I got you something."

"But I don't have anything for you."

"And yet you do." Jade hands him the CD. "A couple of songs on there made me think of you. Of course most things do."

"I didn't know you were into Travis."

"Are you kidding?" Jade asked. "I love Travis. He's the best."

"That Travis guy. Are we not in the same conversation?" Chase looks confused and the bell rings. "Check out tracks eight and thirteen. You'll love him." She kisses him bye.

_**Classroom **_

Cat is drawing in school. Chase suddenly puts the CD on top of the drawing, making her look up. He says, "I thought you might want that back."

"I already have it."

"So do I. Tracks 8 and 11? It's totally you. So, what are you doing? Some sort of serrano thing for Jade?"

"Why would I do that?" Cat asked him.

"Well, I asked you first."

"Look, don't underestimate Jade. She's full of surprises. It's just part of her charm."

"She told me to listen to track 13. There are only 12 songs."

"That's an honest mistake."

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, I'm sorry about this morning with your dad." Chase says, both of them laughing. "I had no idea he was there."

"It's because he usually isn't."

"I thought you were happy with your setup."

"That's what I tell him. I make up stuff in the emails. I send him about how happy I am being on my own and how responsible I'm being even when I'm not. He loves his job, you know?" Cat asked, not even needing an answer. "And after my mom died, it's just not fair to ask him to give that up. But I miss him when I'm away."

Chase responds, "Then you tell him that."

"He worries, so it's just better not to."

"So, listen, I don't have a lot of quiet time these days. Do you mind if I just sit and read while you draw?" Chase asked, sitting next to her.

"You can as long as you don't act out the parts."

Chase laughs, "Alright..." Cat watches him read then looks down. Chase looks up at her and smiles.

_**Davenport Shop**_

"My mom said you wanted to see me." Beck stands on the other side of a car being lowered by Donald.

"Yeah, hand me that ratchet, would you?" Donald asks. Beck reaches over and hands it to him. "So are you holding up?"

"Why, are you going to report it back to my mom?"

"It's not like that, Beck. Look, I know you and I haven't talked much. And I'm sorry about that. It's just that fall out between your dad and me. I know you're going through some tough times, so if you need anything, I'm here."

"Well, let me ask you something." Beck responded. "You played basketball in high school, right?"

"Only for a little while."

"You didn't enjoy it?" Beck asks.

"What, are you kidding me? I love it, but there was no pressure then and then I didn't love it so much anymore. Your dad came up and just made everything a competition."

"So then you just walk away?"

"I only looked back at the cheerleaders. It's just a game, Beck. Not a life."

_**Outside School**_

"Hey spirit girl!" Bree meets up with Cat. "That cheerleading thing always throws me off."

Cat asks, "What?"

"It's just that the more I get to know you, the harder it is to wrap my head around it."

"My mom used to cheer. Jade and I have been cheering forever so it's just kind of our thing."

"Oh cool."

"What's up?" Cat asks her.

"So, um, I need some advice about Beck. It doesn't know if it's crossing a line." Cat starts to laugh. "Okay, funny wasn't what I was going for, but."

"I was the queen of boyfriend dysfunction and now I'm guessing I'm everybody's go-to on relationship advice. It's just kind of bizarre right?"

"If it's too weird then..."

"No, it's cool." Cat stops her. "What's going on?"

"Well, umm, Beck's talking about quitting the team. And I just, I don't know what to say."

"Yeah, look I could never find the words to get through that big wall that he puts up, so I really can't help you out much. But you're so much better with him than I ever was. He's lucky to have you."

"Thanks. I don't want to keep you from your practice. He's lucky to have you."

"Thanks." Bree responds. "I don't want to keep you from your practice."

"Hmm, Go Dingos."

"Hey, um, I didn't mean anything, about your mom."

"It's cool."

"Ok."

_**Gym **_

The cheerleaders are warming up when Jade walks up to Cat. "You could've told me _Travis _was a group." Jade starts.

"It's not like it's some big secret." Cat responds.

"Chase gave me the weirdest look when I said that. I felt so stupid."

"You're not stupid." Cat says. "You guys just don't like the same things."

"See, that's the problem. He brings up arts and books and I've got nothing." The whistle blows and the guys run out into the gym. Chase runs past Jade and Cat. "Hey you."

"Hey you." He turns to Cat. "And you."

Whitey blows the whistle again and the boys gather around him. "Welcome back, gentlemen. Let's see how soft you all got after that little hiatus. Suicides, now!" He turns to see Robbie jogging in with Jenny. "There better be a basketball in that thing Shapiro."

"Come on, Coach." Robbie responds. "It's either this or I miss practice."

Cat walks up behind Whitey and says, "I'll take her Robbie."

"Yeah? Thanks Cat."

"Glad to."

Whitey whistles again and looks around to notice Beck is not there, "Where's Beck? Tim, you're his girlfriend, where is he?"

"I don't know, Coach. He was at school today."

Whitey just continues, "Alright, I've got some offensive sets worked out here. Line up at the low stacks."

_**Chase's House**_

Chase is typing a letter to his mom when Jade walks in. "So, I had an idea." Jade says, walking over to him.

"Okay."

"Remember when I read that Steinberg book?"

Chase corrects, "Steinbeck."

"Yeah that guy. And then you did something that I wanted."

Chase nearly shouts, "Oh yeah, yeah, getting drunk, tattooed and grounded."

"But in a fun way." Jade responded. "I'm thinking we should try that again.

"Okay, you might want to run that by Donald first."

Jade chuckles, "Not exactly that. I just...I want to know everything about you. And I want you to know...almost everything about me."

Filled with concern, he asks, "What's going on, Jade?"

"Nothing, I just wanna know you better, Chase. So how about the next time you do something you love, you bring me along, and then we trade. Are you busy after practice tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Chase answers. "I have a date with you."

_**Restaurant**_

Douglas and Beck are sitting down across from each other when a girl brings a pizza to the table. The waitress says, "Half with olives. We aim to please."

Douglas flirts with her, "Well, you hit the bull's eye, Tara." Beck suddenly shoots him a look when the waitress walks away. "What? You know how I like to kid around."

"Yeah, you're famous for it." Beck comments. "Dad, you really think that's gonna help what's going on."

"Look, you know I think this counseling thing is ridiculous, but I promised your mom I'd try again. We'll be okay."

Beck didn't really believe it, "Right."

"You just focus on your game." Douglas responded. "Whitey kicked your ass today."

"I didn't go to practice."

"What's going on with you, Beck?"

"Nothing. I just need some time. Okay."

"No, it's not okay. It's career suicide."

"Dad, Donald said..."

"Donald said!" Douglas shouted quietly. "You talked to Donald? You take advice from Donald, you'll end up spending the rest of your life running a second rate auto garage. Is that what you want?"

"I told you. I don't know what I want."

_**Davenport Body Shop **_

Donald lowers a car and jumps when Douglas suddenly appears. "That's just freaky!" Donald comments.

"Where do you get off telling Beck he can quit the team?" Douglas asked.

"I didn't tell him he could quit. He wanted to talk so we talked. Maybe you ought to try it sometime."

"So, you neglect him most of his life, I'm out of the house a week, and there you are."

Donald responds, "He surprised me, Douglas. You know Beck's a good kid, but you got him so screwed up he doesn't know what he wants."

"Deb got her hand up your back, Donald."

"Deb's the best thing Beck's got going for him right now. She's trying to save him."

Douglas asked, "What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?"

"I've been trying to figure that out all these years, Douglas."

"I don't mind you playing Daddy to one of my offspring, but leave the good one alone, would you?"

_**Cat and Robbie**_

Robbie walks with Cat when he suddenly pulls out some keys. "Hey Cat, missing these?"

"Those are the keys to the squad's equipment cabinet." She responds. "I gave them to Jenny yesterday to play with. She was shaking them like a pompom."

"Maybe she'll be a cheerleader."

"Or a president; you gotta think big." Cat says.

"Alright, you never know. Whatever makes her happy?" Robbie says.

"You know, I think it's really amazing how committed her you are."

"Well, it's really not that hard. I mean, from the moment I saw her, I was totally hooked. She's just so cute. And I think about watching her grow up. I couldn't imagine not being there."

"You know, I bet you're a really great dad."

"I don't know. Some days I wonder if I am."

"Well, I'm sure you are."

_**Outside the Gym **_

"Hey, Beck." Chase stops Beck.

Beck looks at him and responds, "Hey."

"We missed you at practice."

"Look, man, you don't have to be nice to me because I'm going out with Bree, okay."

"I'm not." Chase responds. "The team sucks on a day without you man. Ask Whitey."

"I'm trying to avoid him."

"That's cool. Do what you got to do."

"I usually do." Beck responds. Chase walks away and Bree walks up to him.

"Am I hallucinating or did I just see you talking to Chase?" Bree asked.

"No, he was trying to talk to me. The whole nice guy thing's wearing kind of thin."

"You wanna walk to English?"

"Actually, I think I'm gonna cut out of here a little bit early. Wanna join me?"

Bree questions, "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why not, are you up for it?"

"I can't, Beck."

"Aright, well, look; I gotta get out of here so I'll catch you later."

"Okay." Bree starts to walk way. She things about it and catches up to him. "You know what? Catch me now." She waits for him to go get his car and she gets excited as he pulls up in a convertible.

While she's getting in, she exclaims, "Oh my god!"

Soon, they are at the beach and drinking. "So, are we trying to get killed?" Bree asked.

"I told you, my dad's in Charlotte. It's okay." He responded. "I've never seen you like this."

"Well, now you have." Bree kisses him.

"Let's go inside."

"Okay." She starts to get back on his back and jumps on.

"Got it?"

"Yeah, I'm good." They start walking up the pier and look up to see Douglas in front of you.

"It's nice on you." Beck tells Bree. Bree gets off his back and Douglas starts to somewhat pull Bree to her car as Beck is following them.

"You've got Mason Bowl next week and this is how you're training." Douglas scowls Beck.

"Can we do this later?"

"There may not be a later for you." Douglas throws open the passenger seat door and throws Bree in the car.

"Oh, oh Mr. Davenport..." Bree starts to say.

"Was I talking to you?" Douglas slams her door. "Get in the car. I'm driving you both home. You're mother's going to love this. You were getting drunk on her watch." As soon as Douglas closes the door on his side, Bree throws up in his lap. Beck tries not to laugh.

_**Karen's Café**_

Cat is sitting at a table, eating with her dad. He says, "There's some kind of interesting news that I need to talk to you about."

Cat asks, "Why does interesting scare me?"

"No, no. Listen, they company's been hired to do some flood control. They want me to supervise."

"How long is it going to be this time?"

"Well, seeing that it is in New Zealand, um, three maybe four months."

"So, what's the upside?"

"It's a lot of money, sweetie. It's way more than I make now. We could be good to go for a while. Maybe even afford that art school you talk about."

"Is it something that you want?"

He responds, "I only want to do this if it's right for us."

Cat nods, trying to hide her disappointment, "You should do it, dad."

Chase enters the café and comes to the counter to see Bree, who looks hung over.

"What happened to you?" Chase asked.

Bree comments, "Nice to see you, too."

"Yeah, I missed you in sixth period."

"Yeah, I kind of skipped." Even though his jaw is not a gap, Bree continues, "You can get your jaw off the floor now."

"He's got you skipping school?"

"Chase, talk to me when you get your tattoo removed." She remarks and walks to the back.

"Alright, then."

"Chase!" Mr. Valentine calls him over. As he walks to the table, he sees Cat ask her dad something. "Hey, sit down, Rake Boy."

"Hey." Chase responds. "I'm never gonna live that one down."

"Probably not."

Cat says, "It's okay. He can be way worse."

"What have you got there?" Mr. Valentine takes his books. "You're reading Faulkner in school now."

"No, I just love his stuff."

_**Outside**_

Jade is walking towards the café and looks at herself in a car mirror. She notices Cat, Mr. Valentine and Chase in the café laughing and looks hurt.

_**School Hall - Morning **_

Jade walks up to Chase's locker and asks him, "So, what did you do last night? I saw you with Cat."

"What are you talking about?" Chase asks.

"You two just looked pretty friendly."

"Well, that's because we're friends."

She asks, "And what are we?"

"Well, I thought that we were dating."

"Well, it looked more like you were dating Cat. How messed up is that?" Jade walks away.

"Jade!" He calls after her. Cat suddenly comes up to his locker.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"She's mad, because she saw us together last night."

"I'll talk to her and explain to her how bored out of my skull I was listening to you and my dad talk about dead writers all night."

"Hey, are you okay?" Chase asked. "You just seemed kind of weird when your dad calls me over."

"He had just told me about this horrid job he's taken in New Zealand, so he's gonna be gone for like ever now."

"Well, did you tell him no to?"

Cat responds, "It's important to him."

"Yeah, but he doesn't know it's important to you. You've got to stop pretending everything's okay. He might surprise you."

_**Tutoring Center**_

Bree sighs and checks her watch. She starts to pack her things when Beck walks in late. She looks up to see Beck walk to her. "Oh, hey, I almost gave up on you." Bree says.

Beck responds, "I lost track, sorry. Are you still hung over?"

"I'm not as bad as your dad's pants."

"How great was that?" Beck asked, laughing.

"It was horrible! Let's just tackle some geometry okay."

"Or, Bottle Rocket is playing at the theater downtown. We could take the train." Beck suggested.

"Are you serious?"

"I promise I won't get you drunken okay."

"Fine, but we're doing equations on the train."

"Aright, it's not exactly risky business, but there's always the ride back." Beck looks to see a quiz with an "F" on the table. "Is this one mine?"

"No. I...this girl I know missed a pop quiz in English Lit yesterday."

"Bree, you got an F?"

She responds, "Mr. Kelly said I could make it up. It's no big deal. She takes the paper. "It's shocking, I'm human, I know. Let's go." She kisses him and leaves.

_**Therapist Office **_

"You know, sometimes we hold back to spare each other's feelings, and our own." The doctor continues. "So maybe it's good that we have a session without Beck."

Deb responds, "Holding back hasn't been our problem."

"How is he doing?"

"He's out of control." Douglas responded.

Deb adds, "He's skipping school."

"Basketball practice."

"Yesterday, we caught him drinking."

"It sounds like he wants your attention." The doctor states.

"He was a good kid before." Douglas responds. "He worked hard and kept busy with sports."

"He needs to find himself outside of sports." Deb declares.

"Right, take away the only open sure thing the kids got."

"Tell me about basketball, Douglas." The doctor orders.

Douglas answers sarcastically, "Uh, you put a ball through a hoop."

"What do you think Beck gets out of it?" The therapist asked.

"He gets structure and discipline. And he gets to know that he's best at something."

"And also," Deb says. "You can relive you past and feel good about yourself."

"Okay, time out." The doctor pronounces. "Um, let's talk about the two of you for a minute. I mean, outside of Beck, let's work what makes you work as a couple. I mean who are Deb and Douglas Davenport?" Both of them look at each other without talking.

_**Gym **_

"Well, you're late." Whitey states as Beck walks in. "Practice was over about 5 hours ago."

"I drove past and saw your car. Don't you ever go home?"

Whitey laughs and sits down, "Sometimes I think this is my home. Well, is this a hit and run or a sit down?"

"Sit down, I guess."

"Good."

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Coach."

"Beck, nobody can make you do anything you don't really want to."

"By nobody, you mean my dad?"

"Let me ask you a question. Let's take your father out of the picture."

Beck responds, "I wish."

"Let's take out all the pushing, the pressure, the training that you've got to do to be as good as you are. Now, ask yourself one simple question; do you really love the game?"

"I do. I just hate what it's doing to my life."

"Then you may have found your answer."

_**Outside School**_

Cat is sitting on a bench, drawing, and Jade joins her. Jade suddenly asks, "You wanna know what I think?"

Cat responds, "I'm sure you'll tell me."

"I think he's trying to have the best of both worlds."

"Who? Chase?"

"He uses you for some sort of intellectual slash emotional thing and me he just uses."

"Come on, you know he's not like that."

"He's a guy, Cat. I mean follow the nature trail and they're all the same."

"Jade, you could have any guy that you want and now you've got Chase, okay, so can you please just sit back and enjoy it?" Cat asks. "He likes you! I like you, okay? So, trust him, trust me, and maybe try trusting yourself, okay!" Cat leaves.

_**Cat's Room **_

Mr. Valentine is on the computer. He puts in a disk and starts installing and starts looking around the room at her art. He sees the stop light drawing: bottom picture green light, middle picture yellow light, top picture all three are red "People always leave" written on top. He looks to see Chase walk in.

"Is the doorbell broken?" Mr. Valentine asked.

"She never hears it." Chase answers. "She always has her music on."

"I tell myself I'm doing what's best for my daughter and that she should have whatever she wants."

"What I think she wants is you. Did you see her comic strip today?" He asks, handing him the paper.

"What strip?" Mr. Valentine looks to see 4 drawings. It's of the little girl waving and as she gets bigger each time, the boat is getting smaller.

Chase says, "It's supposed to be anonymous, so it's our secret, okay?"

"Yeah."

_**Outside School**_

"Hey, Bree, you got a second?" Beck asks, running up to her.

"Hey," Bree turns to face him. "Are you planning our next road trip?"

"Actually, I thought we could just talk."

"Sure, what's up?" Bree asked.

"Well, look." They sit down at a bench. "Bree, I've had a lot of fun with you lately. But, I'm trying to apologize for dragging you out of class the last couple of days."

"Oh, Beck, I had fun."

"And that you got an F on your exam."

"Well, so what?" Bree asks. "You know, I make my own choices and I choose to be with you."

"That's the thing. Look, I like to be with you too, but the real Bree, the one that I got all crushed on, you know? I don't want to see you change. I like you. And I like the fact that somebody likes you see something in me."

"Do you mean somebody like me or me?"

"You already know the answer to that." He kisses her.

_**Cat's House**_

Chase is sitting at the table when Cat walks in. Once she sees him, she asks, "Are you waiting for me?"

"Actually, I'm just hanging out with your dad."

"Oh, God, help me." Cat mutters. "Listen, you should probably talk to Jade. She's convinced she's not being a good enough girlfriend."

"Oops, am I interrupting?" Mr. Valentine asks, walking into the room.

"Actually, I was just gonna..." Chase gets up and leaves. Cat notices the bag on her dad's shoulder.

"Please tell me that's laundry." Cat looks at the bag.

"My ride's on the way. I'm headed out tonight."

"You said you were going to be here until Wednesday."

"That was before I turned down the job."

Cat asks, "What?"

"They managed to find me a 3 week gig instead. Then after that, I'm only taking locals, so we can be a family again."

"Daddy, don't joke with me."

"It's no joke, honey. Cat, I love what I do, but not nearly as much I love you. You've been alone enough. No more."

"I love you, Daddy." Cat hugs him tightly.

"You better." He jokes. A car horn suddenly beeps. "Just promise to keep talking to me okay? I want to know what's going on inside that pretty head."

"Okay."

Chase walks back in, making it noticeable that he was really on the porch the whole time. "Mr. Valentine, your ride's here." He informs him.

"Oh, I gotta go."

"Okay."

"Chase, you keep an eye on this one for me alright?"

"I will." Chase responds as Cat hugs her dad again.

"I'll leave the light on for you." Cat says.

"Oh, and by the way, I like your comic strip." Mr. Valentine says, walking out the door. Cat gives Chase a look as he pretends not to know anything.

_**Outside Chase's House**_

When Chase walks up to the door, he sees Jade sitting on the steps, waiting for him. He greets her, "Hey."

"Donald said you were at Cat's, again."

"Actually, I was with Cat's dad, if that makes any difference."

"Whatever." Jade responds. "Chase, can we talk?"

"Yeah..."

"Okay, I'm not sure if we have a problem or if I have a problem." She says.

"What's the problem?"

"In a nutshell, you're you and I'm me."

"Yeah, but if I was you, you'd be dating yourself."

"What I mean is, I do what I do, and I like what I like, and that's just who I am."

"I know and that's what I love about you."

Jade says, "Okay, but the music that you listen to and the books that you read; I'm not into any of that stuff."

"And I never asked you to be, okay? You know, I kind of enjoy the fact that we're different."

"Okay, I'm sorry." Jade apologizes. "It's just that you're the first really great guy that I've never dated and that really scares me because I never gave a rat's ass before, okay, but I do now."

"That's good, because I give a rat's ass about you, too." Chase kisses her.

_**Beach House**_

Douglas is on the pier when Beck stands next to him. "Does your mother know you're here?" Douglas asked.

"Yeah, she said it was cool as long as we didn't kill each other. I'm sorry for all the crap I've been pulling lately, dad."

"I figured." Douglas responded. "Is everything okay?"

"Not so good."

"Well, you'll bounce back."

"Dad, how did we get so screwed up?"

"We'll get through this, Beck."

"How? Everything is basketball with us, Dad, and now you're yelling at me and mom. Mom's yelling back at you. I'm starting to wonder, is this all because of me?"

"Beck..."

"I mean, dad, Look, I know you're upset with me missing practice and everything, but I'm just not sure if I'll ever be the player you were. I'm starting to think maybe you chose the wrong son." Beck sighs.

"Beck, you have to know, whatever you do, whatever you decide. You're my son and I'm proud of you. I love you."

_**The Park **_

Chase walks up to Beck who is playing basketball. He greets them, "Hey."

"I was looking for you. I'm done playing basketball. I just thought you thought you should be the first to know."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you wanted my world man." He bounces the ball to Chase. "It's all yours."

_**Robbie's House**_

Jenny is crying. Robbie hands her keys to calm her down.

_**Beck's House**_

Deb is looking in her empty bedroom.

_**Cat's House**_

Cat is turning on the front porch light before walking up to her room.

_**Locker Room **_

Beck pulls his name tag off his locker and shoots it into the trash. He walks out, being watched by Whitey.

"_And the little prince said to the man, "Grownups never understand anything for themselves and it is tiresome for children to always be explaining things to them"." - Lucas Scott_

**Next Chapter: Crash Course in Polite Conversations **- After Cat receives the news that her father is lost at sea, she and Chase take an overnight trip to Hilton Head, S.C., to identify a body.


	12. Crash Course in Polite Conversations

Chapter 12 - Crash Course in Polite Conversations

_**Cat's Room**_

Cat is talking to her dad via web cam. He greets her, "Hey, honey."

"Hey, dad. What's going on with the uni-bomber look?" She asked.

"I was going for George Clooney."

"Go further."

"That's right, you're not used to seeing me like this. See, when I'm on the job, I usually let it grow then I shave it off right before I come home. It's kind of a ritual for me."

Cat comments, "Well, make sure you find a razor day after tomorrow."

"And after that, I'm gonna be shaving a lot more often."

"Okay."

"Hey Jade, hey Rake Boy." Cat looks behind her to see Jade and Chase walking in. Mr. Valentine continues, "I see nobody uses the doorbell still."

"Papa Cat, the scruffy thing's working for you." Jade remarks, walking over.

"What are you guys up to so early?" Mr. Valentine asks.

"I don't know. Cat just asked us..." She gets cut off by Cat.

"Oh no, you know what? You'll find out when you get home."

"Not even a little hint?"

"Not even. I love you." Cat starts to end the call as Jade waves bye. When Mr. Valentine gets off the screen, Jade asks a question.

"So, what's the surprise?"

"I need your help with something. Come on." She walks out and the others follow her out to the driveway. Cat pulls a cover off an old red car.

"Damn, that's nice." Chase whistles. "Is this your dad's?"

"Yeah, he hasn't driven it in like a year though. Do you think you can get it to run?" Cat asks.

"Of course he can. And he's going to look good doing it too in a tight little wife beater, maybe some grease smudges." Jade says as Chase pops the hood.

"And I was thinking maybe you could help me wash and wax it." She gestures to Jade.

"Glad to help."

"I just want to do something nice for him since he's coming home."

"Alright," Chase speaks. "I'll go get my tools."

_**Beck's House**_

The doorbell rings just as Beck walks down the hall only in his underwear. He walks over to the door and answers it to see his paternal grandparents, Royal and May.

"Surprise!" May shouts excitedly.

"You answer the door in your underwear?" Royal asks, judgmentally.

"Grandma, Grandpa. What are you guys doing here?"

Deb walks up to the door, "Royal, May, oh what a surprise."

"Well, thanks to the warm welcome." Royal turns to may. "I told you this ambush was a bad idea."

May informs, "He's dragging me to another one of those auto conventions."

"Nobody's dragging anybody anyway." Royal responds.

"I told him that the only way I'd go is if we came by here for Douglas' birthday."

Deb obviously didn't care, "Oh, Douglas' birthday, of course."

"Yeah."

Royal asks, "Well are you going to leave us standing out here all morning freezing our asses off?"

Beck holds the door wider for them, "Come on in."

_**Douglas Davenport Motors**_

Deb catches Douglas walking inside his business. "Douglas." She calls him.

"You remembered." Douglas responded. "I'm touched."

"Oh, I'm not here to wish you a happy birthday, but your parents are."

Douglas turns around, "What?"

"Yeah, they showed up at the house. Apparently, you never told them that you're not living there right now."

"How'd they take it?"

"You think I told them?" Deb asked. "I'm not going to be on the receiving end of that. That's your job."

"Well, how long are they here?"

"Just tonight. But it gets better. Your mother is cooking you a big birthday dinner."

"Oh perfect. Alright, so what are we going to do?"

"We're not going to do anything." Deb responded. "You are going to the house right now and tell them we're separated."

"No, we're doing the counseling. We can working this thing out right? Isn't that the whole point."

"It is."

"Well you know how they are." He states. "Do you really want then weighing in on the state of our marriage? Do you remember when we told them we weren't going to have any more kids? How many times did my dad call you? And now you don't even have the option of hanging up on him."

"Go on, Douglas. Just say it."

"We go through the motions tonight. Get it over with and send them on their way so we can go back to working on us. Besides, it might do us some good and try to remember what it's like to be a normal family."

"Fine, just for tonight."

"Just for tonight." Douglas says after her as she walked out.

_**Karen's Café**_

Bree is working when Royal walks in. "Good morning, sir." She greeted him. "Table or counter?"

"Uh, actually I'm looking for Karen."

"Oh, you know what? She's in Italy right now at a cooking school."

"Good for her." He smiles. "How's that boy of hers doing?"

"Chase is great. She calls in every once and a while. You want me to leave a message?"

"No, that's alright. I'll just catch her the next time I'm passing through."

"Okay, can I tell her who stopped by?" Bree asked. "Mr..."

Royal walks out from the café, "Just an old friend." Deb comes out from the back after seeing Royal there.

_**Cat's Driveway**_

Chase is sitting in the car working on it as Jade is leaning the passenger's window. Chase starts to say, "Well, it's not the battery. It's probably the starter."

"Well you can fix that right?" Jade asks.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem." He responds as Jade gets in next to him. "It's an amazing car."

"It's an amazing guy." She pulls him in by the necklace for a kiss.

"Is that what you got me in this thing for?" Jade nods and they keep kissing. They pulls away and get out when Cat comes outside.

Seeing Cat's worried, she asks, "What's wrong?"

"I'm just worried about my dad. I just checked online and they're saying it's a category 3 hurricane."

"Alright, and you already checked on the web cam right?" Chase asked.

"Yeah, it's out."

"Well, maybe he turned it off." Jade suggested.

"Or the storm did it for him." Cat responded.

Chase was the next one to speak, "Yeah, but storms knock that kid of things out all the time right? Anyway, aren't dredging boats huge?"

"He wouldn't be on the dredging bout." Cat answered. "Right now, if there's a storm headed his way, he'd be on this little tiny transport heading back to shore and that's what worries me."

"Okay, Cat, just stop." Chase demanded. "Don't do this to yourself alright? Just because he hasn't checked in doesn't mean something's happened."

Cat states, "It doesn't mean something hasn't either."

_**On the Streets**_

Bree and Beck are walking past shops and Beck had just finished telling her about this morning. "So, this dinner thing is gonna be pretty bad, huh?"

"It's gonna be a massacre." Beck answered. "My grandma's okay, it's just that my grandpa's pretty intense. You've met my dad. Just imagine where he comes from."

Bree comments, "Scary."

"Yeah, you should come tonight. Maybe it will make everybody behave."

"I'll come if you want me to." Bree laughs.

"No, I wasn't serious." He responded. "I wouldn't put you through that."

"No, I mean if you're asking, of course my answer's yes."

"Well, then I'm asking."

"Well, then I'm coming."

_**Beck's House **_

Douglas and Deb are in the dining room before dinner. "You, your home." Douglas starts to speak. "Listen I called Beck. I told him to inform Royal that he's not going to practice."

"You mean that he quit the team?"

"You know what I mean." Douglas responded. "I also told Donald to avoid the subject."

Deb asks, "Any other lies I should remember to tell?"

"I'm trying to protect our son from my father, okay?"

"You don't even see the irony do you?" Douglas sees May walk in. "Mom, you look beautiful as ever."

"God bless you for a liar."

"When I compliment you, you call me a liar."

"You look tired." May comments as Royal comes in.

"Hey, son, what's the deal, no more Charlotte hornets?"

"Yeah, New Orleans can have then. You think they have playoffs hope?"

"No, no."

May ends the conversation between the two, "No sports talk.

"Oh, come on." The doorbell rings as Royal starts to sit at the end of the table; Douglas coughs and gestures at the seat next to it. "I just became head of the table then, huh?"

"Donald!" May shouts as she hugs him.

"Well looked what the cat dragged in." comments Royal.

"It's good to see you too, dad." Donald walks over and shakes his hand. "Happy birthday, Douglas."

"Yeah, thanks."

"Come on, have a seat." May says. "Dinner is almost ready."

"Hey Deb." Donald kisses Deb on the cheek.

May asks, "Douglas, will you pour some wine please?"

"I'm on it."

"Amen to that. Uh, listen mom, we're going to need another place setting, I invited a special guest." Donald informed.

"A date!" May exclaimed. "Oh my goodness, well you get that chair over there."

The door opens and Beck and Bree walk in. He walks with her into the dining room and introduces her to his grandparents. "Grandpa, grandma, this is Bree."

"Oh Bree." Royal says as Bree shakes his hand.

"Hi." She greets him. "Nice to meet you." Both of them obviously recognize each other from the café; Deb looks nervous about them too.

"Well, Beck, you're looking more and more like your old man every day." Royal comments. "We all know where he gets his good looks don't we? Well, come on in." He gestures to Bree and pulls out a chair for her while saying, "You sit right here next to me, hon."

"Thank you."

The door bell rings and Whitey walks in. He hugs May, who had opened the door for him.

Royal exclaims, "Oh my goodness, Whitey! Good to see you."

"Good evening everybody. Sorry I'm late." He continues to walk to Royal in the background.

Beck quietly asks Bree, "Glad you came?"

"Yeah." She responds.

_**Cat's Driveway; Night**_

Chase is working under the hood and Jade is sitting in the drivers seat. "Alright, try it again." Jade starts the engine. They laugh, excited that it works.

"We got power!" Jade exclaimed.

"Whoo!"

"Cat, come check it out." Cat walks out looking very upset. Jade gets out of the car. "What is it?"

"I just got a phone call." Cat responded. "Um, it's the storm. My dad's transport is missing. There were three guys on it." Cat paused. They recovered a body."

Chase asks, "What'd they tell you?"

"I have to go see if it's him." Everyone is shocked. As they follow Cat into the house, Chase asks another question.

"Alright you sure you shouldn't call your Grandma Nona?"

"No, she'd freak out. I'd rather not upset her, besides it's not going to be dad."

"Of course it's not." Jade tries to ensure her.

"Let's go ahead and get this over with. We have a 4 hour drive ahead of us." Cat stated.

Jade asks, "A 4 hour drive into a storm?"

"Well, the storms pass through, so by the time we get there it should be gone."

"Okay, wait a second. Shouldn't somebody stay here by the phone?" Chase questioned. "I mean incase your dad calls."

"I will." Jade volunteered. "You go with Cat?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah." She responded. "Chase, you're good in crisis, _NOT _that there's going to be one. But I would probably end up falling apart." She turns to Cat and hugs her. "I love you. It's going to be okay." She rubs her hand up and down Cat's back for a second before turning to Chase. "You're the best. I'll call you guys if I hear anything." She kisses him and Cat and Chase walk out the front door.

_**Beck's House**_

"So, how's the team doing this year, Whitey?" Royal asked, taking a bite of his food.

Douglas replies instead of Whitey. "Oh, we're still undefeated actually. Dad, you still rooting for the Magic these days?"

"Please!" May shouted. "No talk of sports until after dinner, okay?"

"Good idea mom. Sorry." Douglas apologized. Royal then turns to Beck.

"Well, Beck, what are you averaging these days?" Royal asked. "You know your dad had 27 and a half a game. Have you beat that yet?"

"Royal, we just said..."

"I'm asking the boy a question, May."

"Uh, well, maybe you should ask the old man." Beck responded, glancing at Bree a little to see her expression so far.

Douglas asked, "24 points a game I think, isn't it?"

"So, 24 a game huh? You're gonna have to get that up if you're going to beat the old man. Yeah, your dad's star would have risen through the roof at Carolina if it wasn't for that damn knee of his. How're your knees?"

"No worries." Beck says. Bree speaks next.

"He's got great knees." Everyone laughs.

"Uh-huh. Of course Douglas takes after his old man. He never let adversity stop him. Too bad Donald takes after his mother's side of the family." Royal comments.

"Lucky for him."

Donald speaks, "I'd drink to that, but I have to get a refill."

"Well, I should see about that cake." May says.

Bree stands up and offers, "I'll go do that, Mrs. Davenport." She turns to Beck. "Want to come help?"

"Yeah, the cake, right." Beck stands up and they walk into the kitchen, beginning to speak quietly.

"I warned you. It was going to be intense."

"Oh, insane is more like it."

Beck responds, "You know there's a door right there. We could sneak out and nobody would even notice."

"Tempting." Bree comments. "Um, so how often do your grandparents come into town?"

"Couple times a year. Why?" Bree just nods. "Bree, you've got that look."

"What look?" She asked.

"The look you get when you get when you want to tell me something but you don't really want to tell me."

"No, I don't, and you shouldn't know that look yet."

"What is it?"

"Your grandfather came by the café today...and he asked for Karen." Bree informed him.

Beck asks, "He did?"

"Yeah. I just kind of got the feeling like they've been in touch."

"Does Chase know?"

Bree answers, "No, they've never even met. But your grandfather asked about him.

"That doesn't make any sense." Beck says. "My grandpa acts like my dad's a second coming, why would he visit Karen?"

"I don't know. I don't want to start anything. I'm just telling you."

"You know what? My family's so screwed up, nothing new would make a difference right now. Don't worry about it."

_**Cat's Car**_

"You warm enough?" Chase asked, glancing at a devastated Cat for a second.

"I'm okay." Cat responds. "I should probably get the heater fixed in here, huh?"

"You know I could have Donald take a look at it for you. I mean he's really good at that stuff. You want me to stop and get some coffee?"

"I'm fine. Thanks." Cat paused for a moment. "Thanks for doing this for me, Chase."

"It's what friends are for right?"

"Yeah." She responds. They get to a draw bridge that is up with police and reflection barriers on it. "Now what?" They stop and get out.

"What's going on?" Chase asks a worker.

"The bridge is up because of the storm. It'll be open in the morning."

"Alright, we have an emergency. We have to get across this bridge."

"I'm sorry, Miss, but it's not safe."

Chase questioned, "Okay, um, is there another way through?"

"Only the ferries, but the channel's too rough so they're not running."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" asked Cat.

"Hopefully, they'll be able to open the bridge in the morning at 6a.m. There's a motel right down the road, so you might want to grab yourselves a room before they're gone."

_**Beck's House**_

Douglas is blowing out candles and everyone applauds when he finishes. "There you go!" Royal exclaimed then turned the subject onto Beck. "So, Beck. How's your game this year?"

"Here we go again." May remarks.

"Just cover your ears, May. I just want to know how my grandson's doing on the team."

"Well I already told you, dad." Douglas says.

"No, you didn't, you didn't tell me jack. And every time I mention it, you change the damn subject. Now will somebody around here tell me what's going on? Beck? Whitey? Anybody?"

Whitey says, "Beck I think you better take this one."

"I quit the team, alright?"

"You quit the...what do you mean you quit the team?"

"He didn't quit the team dad." Douglas lied. "He's just taking some time off."

"No, he's not. Please stop lying, Douglas." Deb said.

"Were you ever going to tell me this?" Royal asked. "I mean that's a hell of a thing to keep to yourself."

Beck comments, "Yeah you're one to talk."

"I know you visit Karen at the café, alright? What's that about?"

"Beck!" Bree shouted.

"That's none of your damn business." He looks at Bree. "I guess somebody's got a big mouth."

"You shut up, Grandpa." Beck snaps.

"Don't you talk to me like that." He warns.

"Back off, Royal. I've had enough of your crap. Beck is not the problem." Deb says.

May asks, "Would someone please explain?"

Deb starts to explain to her, "Douglas has been riding Beck for the past 6 years about that damn game."

"Deb stop." Douglas

Deb proceeds, "Riding him so hard that Beck took drugs so that he could measure up."

"Drugs?"

"Until he had to be rushed to the hospital. He could have died because of this insane pressure to put a ball through a hoop. But not of that is my son's fault, Royal. It's your sons."

"Douglas." May looks at him, disappointed. "How dare you! You know how much you hated it when your dad bullied you to be better." That suddenly made Beck's head snap back up. He looks at Royal then back at Douglas a few times.

Royal defends, "I never bullied him."

"And when you wanted a way out, I gave you one." May continues. "All these years, I protected you, I lied for you, and now you're doing the same thing to your son?"

"What lie?" Royal asked. "What are you talking about?"

"His knee injury in college. It wasn't permanent. He quiet and I helped him." Everyone is in shock.

"What do you mean he quit?"

"It's not like that, dad."

"Oh, stop it, Douglas." May says. "It time the truth came out."

"Will somebody tell me what in the knee hell is going on here?" Royal asked.

"You were on the road when Douglas hurt his knee, so we lied."

"You told me it was a degenerative knee condition..."

"It was dad, it was..." Douglas responds.

"You looked me in the eye and told me that."

"Don't you see Royal?" May asked. "He was never going to be the star that you wanted him to be. You just couldn't see that. The boy had two choices; to fail in front of you or to quit. Either way he quit."

"There's more to the story dad. You don't know the whole story!" Douglas exclaimed. Royal gets up from the table, angry.

"I've had enough."

"Me too. Come on, Bree, I'll take you home."

"Thanks for dinner." Bree gets up and follows Beck out.

Whitey gets up to leave, "Well I can show myself out. Thank you May, Deb. Happy birthday, Douglas." He leaves.

May starts to say, "Douglas, don't you..."

"Why?" Douglas asked, leaving the table.

"Well, I guess I'll do the dishes." May gets up.

_**Motel Room **_

Cat and Chase come in out of the rain. Cat starts to say, "Alright, let's just try to get some sleep, then we'll be at the bridge as soon as it opens up. What did he say, 6 a.m.?"

"We'll be there at five." Cat does a small laugh and he questions, "What?"

Cat gets up to look at him after having plopped on the bed. "We're in a hurry to find out if my dad's dead. It's just kind of surreal."

"Yeah, it's pretty messed up." He comments.

"You know how in dreams, you're always trying to get to some place you need to be, but you never really get there?" She asks.

"Yeah."

"I wish I could wake up."

"Maybe we should try to get some sleep. You think you can?" Cat nods. "Okay." He sees that there's only one bed. "I'll just sleep on the floor, alright?"

"Don't be stupid." She pats the side of the bed that she's not lying on. Chase turns off the light and they lie down.

"Look, Cat, I just wish there was something I could do or say to help you through this."

"You already have. Thanks Chase."

"Goodnight." They both just stare at the ceiling.

_**Bree's House**_

Beck and Bree are walking up to the door when Beck suddenly apologizes for his family, "Sorry you had to say that."

"Oh, it's okay." She responded. "It helped me understand you."

"You know, growing up, there were just certain things that were just carved into stone. And the main one was that Douglas Davenport would have been a pro if he didn't blow out his knee. So, all this time, he just had been feeding me this line of crap about how great he would have been. And how I'd never be as good as him." Beck sits on the chair sitting beside the window. Bree sits next to him.

"At least you know the truth through, right?" Bree asked.

"I just don't know what do with it." They stand up and she hugs him.

"Okay, goodnight."

"Good night."

"I'm here if you need me, okay?" She kisses his cheek and starts to go inside.

"Hey," He calls her. "Remember how I said my family's so screwed up, and nothing new would make a difference?"

"Yeah." She responds, turning back at him.

"I was wrong." He smiles at her then walks to his car.

_**Beck's House**_

Beck knocks and goes into his dad's office. Douglas looks up at him and asks, "Do you want to hear my side of it?"

"Why should I believe it? This whole time you've been riding me, you've known exactly the way I feel. Now that it's in my head, it just makes it that much worse."

"I was great player, Beck, in high school. But when I got to Carolina, I knew it wasn't going to be the same. My dad couldn't see it though. It was hard on your grandmother, too. So when I got hurt, she came to me and pleaded me to walk away. She said it would be better for all of us. So I did. It was the sores decision of my of my life. It felt good to get out from underneath my father, and after a while, I realized I wasn't playing for him at all. The game meant the world to me. I just never took the time to stand back and realize that. So I tried to get back into it; rehab, running weights. But it was too late. My knee never responded. It was over for me."

"So you think that somehow gives you the right to hammer me all the time?" Beck asked.

"I know I push you, I know I'm hard on you, but I'm trying to save you from a life of regret. And trust me, you don't want it."

"So, then you make me feel like crap all the time. That really helps dad." He responds sarcastically."

"I could have been stronger. But I push you so you will be, and so things will end up better for you than they did for me."

"Then you're safe, dad. There's no way I'm ever going to end up like you." Beck remarks before leaving the room.

_**Motel Room**_

Cat's still awake, and so is Chase, but she doesn't know that. She's playing with a bracelet. Chase lets her know he's awake, "Hey."

"Hey." She responds.

He asks, "What you got?"

Cat reads the engraving, "To my heart, Love Dad." She starts to continue. "He gave it to me on my last birthday. What if it is him Chase?"

"It's not gonna be."

"I don't know what I'd do."

"It's going to be okay."

"I just keep trying to picture walking into that room and seeing him lying there. But I hit a wall. Why does it seem like every time things are finally going to be okay, something terrible happens?" Cat asks.

"You don't know that it has. Keep him close to your heart, Cat. Get some sleep, okay?" Cat turns to face the other way. Chase keeps looking at her.

_**Beck's House - Living Room**_

Douglas walks in with pillows and blankets. He tells Deb, "You can sleep in the bedroom. I'll stay out here tonight."

"Hos it ever once bothered your conscience that our entire relationship is based on your lie?" Deb asked. "When you were forced to walk away because of your so-called injury, I dropped out too."

"We both dropped out to raise Beck. Don't rewrite history."

"Oh, so you're the only one who can play that? I thought I knew the man I was choosing to spend my life with

"The injury was real, Deb. And yes, I decided not to rehab it at first. By the time I changed my mind, it was too late. I did it in service to you and Beck. Now I know how you'd hold it against me for not telling you, but did you ever think that maybe I did it to protect you from it all?"

"If that's what you need to believe."

"It's the truth."

"The truth. In this house?" She asks, walking out of the room.

_**Motel Room**_

Chase walks in with food from the vending machine. Cat's arms support her as she sits up to see what he has. She asks, "What's all this?"

"Oh, sorry I didn't mean to wake you."

"I wasn't asleep."

"I hit the vending machines. Are you hungry?" He throws her a soda. "You should probably eat something."

"After my mom died, my dad couldn't cook. So, we lived on frozen pizzas for the longest time. I could live on pizza. He'd by these cheese pizzas, then then put his own toppings on: pickles, bologna, pineapple, whatever."

"That's nasty." Chase commented.

"No, actually they were really good. I think he did it mostly just to make me laugh. You know it would help me forget a little bit." The alarm clock goes off; 4:45.

"Are you ready?"

"No." Cat replied. "Let's go." They both leave, not taking any of the food.

_**Davenport Kitchen - Morning **_

"Morning." Deb walks in the kitchen to see May cooking some egg.

"Morning. Scrambled or friend?" May asked. "What do you think.

"I think nobody's going to be that hungry."

"I'm glad you stood up to Royal the way you did, Deb. I didn't mean to hurt Douglas, but this lying over the years has gotten so tiresome I did what I thought I had to do to save my son."

"That's what we do." Deb responded. "I'm glad you spoke up.

"Douglas." May says as he walks in. "Son, you know, someday you're going to realize I did you a favor. Your dad's going to get over this eventually. But if you let history repeat itself, your son may not."

He ignores her and says, "I'm going for a run."

"Oh well." May sighs. "I think I'll scramble the eggs."

_**Beck and Royal **_

Beck is coming down the stairs passed Royal when Royal stops him. "Listen, Beck, whatever you're going through, I'm sorry about your dad."

"I understand why he did it, grandpa. He must have really loved you, you know that? Cause anything seems better than disappointing you."

_**Cat and Chase**_

Cat, Chase and a doctor stand next to the body under a sheet; Cat nods for him to lift off the sheet. Cat looks away, and into Chase's chest, she says, "It's not him."

When they were finished, Chase and Cat walk back to Cat's car. "You did good." Chase says.

"I felt like my chest was going to explode." Cat admits as Chase calls Jade.

"_Cat's Place." _Jade says on the other line.

"Hey, it's me."

"_Hey, I was just dialing you. That's freaky." _

"Well, it's good news."

"_Yeah, I know I just got off the phone with the coast guard. They made contact with his boat, he's fine."_

"Alright, we're headed home." Chase takes the phone away from his ear and tells Cat, "They found your dad, he's okay." Cat hugs him.

"_Okay. I'm waiting. Love you." _

"Alright, you too. Bye."

"Oh my god, that's..." Cat suddenly paused. "Wait."

"What?"

Cat feels her wrist. "My bracelet; I must have left it in the motel."

"Alright, let's go."

_**Bree's Room**_

"Hey." Beck walks into the room to see Bree's at the computer. Bree turns back to look at him.

She responds to him, "Hey."

"Grandma's making breakfast. The show starts at 9. Are you in?"

"Um, as fun as last night was, I think I'm going to pass. You know, I've been thinking. Now that you know the truth about your dad, you're free, right?" She asks. "I mean, he's been lying to all this time. You don't have to listen to him anymore. There's no pressure."

"Yeah, I wish that were true."

"What do you mean?"

"My dad walked away and his father will never forgive him for the that. I have to go back."

"Beck, I..." Bree starts to say, but Beck interrupts her.

"I have to beat him. Bree, it's the only way I'm ever going to be free of my dad." Beck leaves the room.

_**Motel **_

"It has to be here." Cat pulls down the bed and finds it.

"Got it?" He asks as Cat starts crying. "Hey, it's okay. Everything's okay now, alright?"

They hug then look at each other. Cat kisses him and he quickly kisses back. He takes of her jacket, then his. She sits on the bed and Chase takes off her top shirt. He lays her down and kisses her stomach, then takes off his shirt. He starts kissing her neck, but her hair gets caught in his necklace.

"Ow. Ow. My hair."

"Sorry." Chase apologizes. She unclasps his necklace.

She starts to untangle her hair, "There."

"Jade." Chase suddenly says.

"What?"

"Jade gave me that necklace. You know, we, um...we should probably get going."

"Yeah."

"Okay."

_**Davenport's House - Breakfast on the Patio **_

Donald, Douglas, Deb, May, Royal and Beck are seated and eating. Royal suddenly breaks the silence, "How's business, Donald?"

"It's pretty steady."

"Good. I know I rib you a lot son, but I hope you know I think you're a good man."

"That's great, dad. The first nice thing you say to mean and it's really just to dig at Douglas."

"Now son..." Royal starts to say.

"Please, could we just eat breakfast?" May asked. "Douglas, you forgot to open your presents." She puts a wrapped box in front of him. "This is from me and your dad."

"Oh, okay. What's this?" He pulls out a quit with all his basketball things sewn into it."

"It's a quilt. A lady in Orlando made it. We still had all your basketball stuff and I just couldn't bring myself to throw them out. You see son, you still have a lot to be proud of."

_**Chase and Cat Driving **_

"Cat, I..." Chase starts to say, looking at her for a second before putting his eyes back on the road.

"Don't. It was stupid. Okay? You're with Jade now."

"Yeah."

"We just got carried away. It didn't mean anything."

"It didn't?" Chase asked.

Cat rolled her eyes, "Of course it did." They look at each other then look out.

_**Inside School**_

Bree sees Beck in his practice jersey and they just look at each other with blank looks, then he walks away. He was so glad his grandparents left town before he came to school.

_**Cat's House**_

Jade runs outside as Cat and Chase up. She hugs Cat. "It's okay." She pulls away then hugs Chase. "Hey you." Chase and Cat make eye contact for a second and he follows the girls inside.

**Next Chapter: Hanging By a Moment **- **On their way to drive Karen home from the airport, Donald and Chase collide with an oncoming vehicle.**


	13. Hanging by a Moment

Chapter 13 - Hanging by a Moment

_Bree is about to shoot a free throw and everyone is cheering her on. "Tutor Girl, Tutor Girl, Don't screw up!" _

"_Okay, folks, this is it. Bree James steps to the line with a flawless 4.0 GPA hanging in the balance. She's going to need this free throw to pass Physical Ed. Otherwise; her perfect grade point average is history." Leo speaks into the microphone. _

"_Come on, Bree. You can do it." Beck says. _

_Whitey puts in, "Don't miss it, tutor girl." _

_She shoots and it lands a few feed in front of her. _

Bree wakes up suddenly from her dream, confused.

_**School Hall**_

Cat is walking downstairs and Chase catches up. "Cat." He calls her. "So, how's everything with your dad?"

"It's fine, thanks."

"Yeah." Chase suddenly asks, "And how about with us?"

"Moment of weakness, right? I've been feeling guilty about it all weekend."

"Me too."

Cat responds, "Listen, let's just bury it and pretend it didn't happen, okay?"

"Sure." He says right before Jade comes up. She remains clueless about what happened between Cat and Chase.

"Hi friend! Girl. Boy. What's the latest scandal?" Jade asked. "You two never have any good gossip. Are we still redoing your bedroom tonight?"

"Yes." She responds.

"Terrific." She turns to Chase. "Are you up for some heavy lifting?"

"Well I..." Chase starts to say but Jade interrupts him.

"...would love to help?"

"Yeah." He responds, figuring he really didn't have any choice.

"You, me and broody in your bedroom all night. The webcam pervs are gonna love it."

_**Therapist Office**_

Douglas and Deb are sitting on opposite sides of the couch. Deb suddenly starts to bring up Chase. "Douglas has a son from a previous relationship. Chase."

Douglas asked, "She's known about this kid for years and all of a sudden, it's grounds for separation?"

"He joined Beck's basketball team." Deb ignores him. "That's when things got worse."

"Douglas, as I recall, you chose not to be a part of Chase's life." The doctor speaks. Douglas walks to her wall of degrees to change the subject.

"Wow. Not exactly the end all and be all to psychology degrees. Am I right, Doc?"

"We were talking about Chase."

Douglas continues anyway. "Hey, doc, did you ever read that article about the mountain climber who had his arm wedged beneath a boulder? His arm was caught beneath a thousand pound rock, so he cut it off just below the elbow using nothing but a pocket knife. Of course, he had to break the bone first. Some people find that hard to believe, but it's simple really. He found himself faced with a difficult situation; he did what he had to do to survive. I made a choice; to cut away the part of me that had me trapped. You can question my judgment if you want to. The matter of fact is, you can never really understand it, until it's you that's caught beneath the weight."

"And I was a weight too?" Deb asked. "Because I got pregnant shortly after Karen. How do explain being with me and not her?"

"Because with you, I saw a future."

_**Basketball Locker Room **_

Chase looks at himself in front of his locker and takes off Jade's necklace. He walks outside to see Cat walking by with a friend. "Hey, Cat." He stops her. Cat turns around to look at him, leaving the friend behind.

"Oh, hey. Jade had to take off early so she said for you to call her."

"Okay." He responds. "You got a sec?"

"Uh, yeah. What's up?" She asks."

"I lied, okay. I can't bury what happened between us."

"Chase, Jade is my best friend and your girlfriend."

"I know. But..."

"But nothing, okay. That's where we're at now. It's not fair to her to make a big deal out of what happened. It didn't mean anything. I'm sorry." She turns to leave.

"Cat." He pulls her back and kisses her, and then she kisses back. "See? It does mean something."

"It can't."

"But it does."

"Chase, you're dating Jade."

"I know. And she's great. But she's not you. Look ever since you came to my room and told me how you felt about me, I've been hiding with Jade. I've been trying not to get hurt again. I don't want to hide anymore."

"Even if we could be together, what makes you think it would work?"

"Because I feel it in my heart. Don't you?"

"Yes. So, what are you going to do?"

_**Chase's Room **_

Chase is typing on his computer when Bree comes in.

"What's up, loser?" She asks.

"Hey, you. I'm just finishing up this email to my mom because she comes back tomorrow."

"Oh cool. Tell her I said hi. You're going to call me when she gets back from the airport, right?"

"Cool. So I need to borrow a couple things from you, like your basketball and you."

"Okay, why?" Chase asks.

"I'm totally flagging PE and I need you to show me how to throw a stinking free shot."

Chase laughs. He corrects, "Free throw."

"Whatever."

"You know I'd love to, Bree, but I've got to do some stuff with Jade and Cat tonight."

"Like what?"

"I kind of need to talk to you about something."

"What's going on?" Before Chase can explain, Jade walks in through the door beside Chase's bed.

She greets Bree, "Hey, tutor girl."

"Tiger, what's up?" Bree asks dully.

"Never mind. Rain check?" He asks Bree.

Bree starts leaving, "You kids have fun." As soon as the door closes, Jade turns to him.

"Are you ready to go?" She asks.

"Yeah, sure."

"Then, let's go boyfriend."

_**Whitey's Office**_

"What's the good word, Coach?" Donald asks, walking into the office.

"There is no good word." Whitey responded. "What brings you around here?"

"Oh, a little victory celebration."

"What's the occasion?" Whitey asked.

"I thought you might want to toast you 500th win."

"499. I haven't made it yet." He pulls out two mugs for Donald to pour drinks into.

"Yeah, well I'm beating the rush."

"Well, I guess this could serve as a dual toast."

Donald asks, "Why's that?"

"I'm thinking of down. That comes as a big surprise to you, Donald?"

"Well, yeah. Yeah it does."

"A fellow can't coach forever."

"Well, he can't quit while he still love the game."

Whitey questions, "Who says I love it?"

"You do. Every time you step out onto that court. This game is what keeps you young. Without it, you'd...I don't know, you'd be off somewhere babbling while wearing a dress."

"You haven't seen me at home. I promised myself I'd coach for 20 years, and then Camilla and I would start living." Whitey responded. "35 years later, here I am."

_**River Court**_

Bree is trying to shoot, but misses. Beck drives up and walks over. When he catches the ball, he teases, "Was that your jump shot? Cause if that was your jump shot, I can't date you anymore." Bree laughs. "My mom said you'd be here. Something about a grade."

"Yeah." Bree responded. "You can't be here right now."

Beck asks, "Why not?"

"Because I look stupid."

"You realize I've seen you in that crocheted poncho thing you wear, right?" He hands her the ball.

"Come on, this is embarrassing! I want you to think I'm...not embarrassing."

"You don't embarrass me, Bree."

"Oh yeah? Okay." Bree shoots the ball and it goes right at Beck.

"Okay, I take that back."

Bree says, "I can't do it."

"Yes you can." Beck stands right beside her and starts to guide her through it. "Alright, square your shoulders, to the basket. And you've got to bring the ball up right past your nose like this." He demonstrates the position. "Okay? Bend your knees a little. Relax your hips. And just shoot." She shoots the ball and hits the rim. "Okay, that wasn't perfect, but it also wasn't embarrassing. It was actually kind of sexy."

_**Karen's Café**_

Donald walks past a leaving customer, heading over to the counter where Deb stands. "I got to hand it to you, Deb. You've done one hell of a job here."

"Thanks, Donald." She says.

"So, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I'm just really excited Karen coming back."

"Yeah, so am I."

Donald asks, "If you don't mind me asking, how are things with you and Douglas?"

"Oh, I don't know. We're going to therapy, but I'm not sure we can find our way back."

"To where?" He asked.

"The people we used to be." Deb responded. "We used to laugh more. We were kind to each other. We were in love."

"What about now?"

"I honestly don't know."

_**Beach**_

Douglas is walking by the ocean, not noticing the woman is chasing her hat behind him. "A little help!" She catches his attention. Douglas turns around and picks her hat up. "Oh thanks."

"My pleasure." Douglas responded.

"I'm Carrie."

"Douglas."

"Douglas." Carrie repeated. "I was wondering what the name of the attractive man who jogs past my bungalow every morning was."

"Yeah, was it? So what are you doing on my beach, Carrie?"

"I heard it's a great place to pick up guys."

"Only the light ones. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you even with the ugly hat."

"Um, Douglas, the yellow cottage is mine. Come by and see me sometime." She says. Douglas smiles and leaves.

_**Cat's House**_

Cat opens the front door of her house to see Jade and Chase standing in the doorway. "Hey girly," Jade greets her. "Let's do some damage." She walks inside leaving Cat and Chase alone.

Quietly, she tells him, "We're going to hell."

"Cat."

"No, honestly, we are horrible, rotten people."

"Come on, you two, let's go!" Jade shouted from somewhere.

"Chase, I don't want to hurt her."

"Neither do I. Okay. But we've got to tell her tonight."

"Let's go!" Jade shouts. They look at each other then go inside. They walk into Cat's room and starts taking everything to paint.

"Okay, broody, show us what you've got." Jade says. Jade closes the door behind him as he lifts a mattress out of the room and turns to Cat. "Want to hear a secret? I know you do."

She starts to say, "Jade..."

"I'm falling for him." Jade says, walking over from the door. "Speechless right? I know, it's crazy, but this is like L-O-V-E mad crushed out. I'm in trouble."

"That's..."

"What is this? On the stereo."

"It's Tegan and Sara." Cat responds.

"I know that." Jade says. "But what song?"

"Don't Confess." She answered as Chase comes back in. "Um, you know what? I totally flaked. I forgot paint brushes."

"Well, we could finger paint." Jade suggested.

"No, really. Maybe we should do this another time. I'm not feeling well right now. Really, you guys should go. Okay, because I'm going to launch any second now."

"Well, how about we do it tomorrow night?" Jade asked. "After Chase's mom gets back."

"Fine, tomorrow night."

"Okay." She turns to Chase. "Come on, I'll let you buy me hot chocolate. And C. Valentine, please don't hurl too much. Because if you get any thinner, I'm gonna start looking fat." Jade runs out.

"I can't do this to her." Cat quiet tells him. He looks disappointed and leaves.

_**On the Street**_

Jade and Chase are walking with their hot chocolate. Chase suddenly asks, "Have I told you lately how much I like you?"

"Why?"

"Why do I tell you?"

"No, why do you like me?"

"Hmm, pity mostly." Jade responds. She looks at him, noticing his quietness. "How come you're so quiet tonight?"

"I'm just anxious about my mom coming back tomorrow."

"Yeah, me too."

Chase asks, "Why are you?"

"I want her to like me. Plus, she's really cool. I'm not that close with my mom so I just think it'd be great if I hit it off with yours. You can't control love, you know? Your mom and Donald. You're worried about their relationship, right?"

"Right."

"They'll be okay. People that are meant to be together always find their way in the end." Jade says.

_**Karen's Café**_

Bree is sitting at the counter, writing something then crumples the paper. She tries to throw it in the trash but misses. Cat comes up to her and greets her, "Hey."

Bree responds, "Hey."

"I was hoping you'd be here."

"What's up?"

"Um, I actually need some advice, and I didn't have anybody to talk to."

"Jade's not around?" Bree asked. "Sorry. Where are the rest of your minions?"

"What minions?"

"You're like the queen of the hive."

"I guess I have a lot of friends, but I really don't have any I can talk to."

"Okay, um, let's just go over..." They walk over to a couch and sit down. Bree asks, "So what's on your mind?"

"Um, you know when you first realized that you liked Beck and you knew that Chase would flip out? How'd you deal with that?"

"Why? What's going on?"

"It's just friend of friend stuff."

Bree responds, "Okay, um, I sort of asked myself, repeatedly, if this thing with Beck is really worth losing my best friend over."

"Yeah."

"Look, if Chase is really my best friend, then he should be happy for me. It's not like he was dating Beck. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm good. Thanks Bree."

"Sure."

_**Whitey's Office**_

Whitey's reading a list he made, "Coach for 20 years, win 500 games, makes a difference." He looks up as soon as Beck knocks on his door. "Yeah."

"You wanted to see me?" Beck asked, watching over the desk.

"That was an interesting meal the other night, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me something, Beck. Have I made a difference to you?" Whitey asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean being on this team, me rattling on all the time, have you learned anything?"

"I move my feet better on defense."

Whitey looks disappointed, "Well, that's something I guess. There are a couple of new plays in that folder that you missed out on."

Beck grabs the folder with Whitey's list inside. "Coach, I just wanted to say thanks for letting me back on the team." Whitey nods as Beck walks out.

_**Beck's House - Court**_

Bree is still trying to learn how to shoot. Beck is helping her. She looks at him and says, "Today's the day I still suck."

"Come on, it's alright. Just keep your elbows in." He throws her the ball and she misses again. Douglas comes out behind him.

"What's this?" Douglas asks.

"Hey, dad. I'm just giving Bree a few pointers."

"I'll bet. Bree."

"Mr. Davenport."

"So, Beck, I thought we'd grill up some steaks at the beach house for dinner." Douglas starts to talk to Beck. "Just the two of us."

"That sounds great, Dad, but...um, Bree and I have plans tonight."

"Okay."

"Some other time, huh?"

"Sure. I heard you were back on the team." Douglas says. "I think that's a good move."

"Yeah."

"How's by house?" He goes back inside.

"I'm sorry." Bree apologized. "You should go with your dad tonight, if you want."

"I don't want to go with my dad. I want to be with you. Now knock down this shot like I know you can." She shoots and misses, starting to get frustrated. "It's okay. This calls for drastic measures. You're going to be fine. Try it granny style."

_**Chase's House**_

Donald is putting flowers on the table. He just couldn't wait for Karen to get home.

_**Graveyard**_

Whitey is putting flowers on Camilla's grave. He takes off his hat and stands there for a while.

_**School Hall**_

Beck looks through the plays in the folder at his locker and comes across Whitey's list. Over in the gym, Bree dribbles up to the free throw line, shoots granny style and makes it, then turns around pleased with herself.

Beck starts walking and Bree comes around the corner, meeting up with him. "Hey." She greets him. "I so owe you."

"Good, because I need a favor."

_**Karen's Café**_

Deb is serving coffee when Donald comes inside. As he walks up to her, he greets, "Hey."

"Hey."

"3 hours until Karen arrives." Deb says.

"Yep, so ask me what mistake I just made." Donald responds.

"What mistake did you just make?"

"I, uh, just went to see Douglas." He answered.

Deb asked, "Why?"

"I don't know. Brotherly Love. I thought maybe he could use someone to talk to, but he's in a really dark place right now."

"I'm sorry." Deb apologized. "He doesn't do well alone."

"Well, sure. There's no one to tear down when he's alone...except himself."

Deb asked, "You hungry."

"Oh no, but I could use a beer."

"3 hours to Karen?"

"I know. That's why I could use a breezier." Donald answered. "I never told you this, but before she left, she kissed me at the airport. It wasn't just one of those, you know, see you later kind of kisses."

"Donald, that's great."

"Yeah, it is. It's funny. I feel like I'm about to start the life I always wanted." He says as Deb opens his beer and gives it to him. "It's three hours away and I'm scared as hell."

"Well, it couldn't happen to two better people."

"Thanks."

"You're going to be fine."

_**Beach House**_

Douglas is grilling steaks. Carrie comes up the pier. "Douglas. Douglas." She says. "You disappoint me."

"How's that, Carrie?"

"You don't call. You don't write. And when I come over to invite you to dinner, you start without me."

"Actually, you're right on time." Douglas responded. "Would you care to join me?"

"I'd like that."

_**Library **_

Bree and Beck are on the computers, looking up something. "Hey, did you know that Whitey's real name is Brian?" Bree asked.

"Brian Durham."

"Yeah!

"Who knew?"

"Come here, this is great. This site's got his record before Mission Creek

"That's perfect."

"I'm gonna go get something to drink. Do you want anything?" Bree asked.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks." He responds. Bree walks away to go get something to drink as Beck continues to research.

_**Another part of the Library**_

Cat and Chase talking quietly in one of the aisles of the library.

"This is so wrong; sneaking around behind Jade."

"Do you think that's part of it?" Chase asked.

"Part of what?"

"Us. You know, that this is wrong, but somehow it makes it feel deeper."

"Chase, Jade and I have been best friends since elementary school. We've always put our friendship before guys. Do you really think I'd risk losing my best friend over a fling? Because I wouldn't do that."

"Okay. Look, I don't want to hurt Jade, and I don't want to come between the two of you. But, I have to be with you." They start kissing and Bree is watching from behind them.

_**Beach House - Inside **_

Carrie is lighting candles when Douglas asks, "Would you like something to drink Carrie?"

"How's your red wine selection?"

"Excellent." He grabs a bottle and shows her. He starts to try to open a bottle of wine.

Carrie asks, "Do you need a hand?"

"No, I'm just looking for a cork screw."

"Well, you better find open or you'll never get me drunk." Carrie says as Douglas comes across pictures of him and Deb together on the beach. Carrie questions his quietness. "Douglas?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sure you're a great person, Carrie. But I have a wife I love very much."

"That's sweet, but also a coincidence since I have a husband I love very much. But then again, our spouses aren't here, are they?" Deb walks into the house and sees them. Carrie and Douglas both turn their heads to her. "Or maybe one of them is. I guess I'll go." Carrie leaves and Douglas starts defend him.

"Deb, it was completely innocent. She has a beach house, and I had an extra steak."

"And a bottle of wine."

"Deb, I was lonely for some company."

"I'm lonely too, Douglas. But I'm not off frolicking with the pool boy."

"Conversation, Deb. Remember, like we used to have?"

"Okay, so it's my fault? My deficiencies as a conversationalist have driven you to dine with beach skanks.

"Are you hungry?" She starts to leave, but Douglas stops her. "Deb, please don't go. Deb, wait. Look, look at this." He shows her the picture of them on the beach. "Those two were happy. They loved each other."

"The hurricane that fall washed half the beach away."

"The hurricane that fall washed half the beach away and took those people with it."

"Deb, don't go." She leaves and slams the front door. "I love you."

_**Chase's Room **_

Bree comes into Chase's room, ready to scold him as he gets ready. All she knew was this wasn't like the Chase she grew up with. "Hey, we're just about to pick up my mom."

"What's going on with you and Cat?" She asked.

"Nothing's going on." Chase lies.

"So, you guys weren't together recently?"

"No. Why? What, did you talk to Cat?"

"Why? Are you trying to figure out what lie to tell me next?" Bree asked.

"I wanted to tell you, Bree."

"Tell me what?"

"That we've been..."

"Yeah, I know you've been because I saw you kissing her which is a really jack ass move considering you have a girlfriend named Jade."

"Don't lecture me, Bree. I know that!"

"So, stop it."

"I can't! It's complicated."

"It's not complicated. It's simple, really simple. What you're doing is wrong. And if you can't see that, I don't like the person you're becoming."

"Okay, the person I'm becoming? What about the person you're becoming?"

"What does that mean?" She asks.

"You know what it means, Bree. Beck says a few nice things to you to get back at me and you fall for it."

"Oh my god, if I hear that one more time, you know that I did that for you!"

"You did it for me?!"

"Yeah."

"Okay, is that what you tell yourself every time you're kissing him, that you're doing it for me? You're the one that's lying! Alright, if you're looking for betrayal, look at yourself."

"You know what, Chase? Next time you see me, don't talk to me!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" She walks out, slamming the door.

_**Whitey's Office**_

Whitey is packing up things into a box. He stops, hearing Beck's voice at the door. "So, you're just going to quit, huh? You're going to win 500 games and walk away? I did a little research in the _library_." Whitey looks shocked as Beck hands him his list.

"You were in the library? Temperature must have dropped in hell. I promised Camilla I'd win 500 games then walk away. We were going to grow old together."

"You're alright old, Coach. Besides, who's going to yell at me, huh?" Beck asked.

"I'm not supposed to yell at you, Beck." Whitey responded. "You're supposed to learn things."

"Yeah, but what fun would that be? You love yelling at me."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do! You love to yell at me and I love to make you yell."

"Well, if you'd listen once and a while you knucklehead!"

"You know, not many coaches win 500 games." He states.

"No, not many high school coaches win 500 games. You know why? They move up to the next level, to carpeted locker rooms and air-conditioned buses, and games that matter."

"That's a bunch of crap, Coach. And you know it. These are the games that matter. They matter to kids who are just trying to figure themselves out, figure out who they're going to be. Look, the other day, you asked me if you've made a difference. Well, you have, at least with me." Beck starts to leave, but Whitey starts to say something, making him turn back.

"Son, at some point, you've got to do it on your own."

"Yeah, at some point. We both know I've got a long way to go. Just don't give up on me." He leaves.

_**Douglas Driving **_

Douglas his headed to the café as he calls Deb on his cell phone. _"Hi, it's Deb, leave a message and I'll get back to you."_

"Deb, it's me. I'm coming to see you."

_**Whitey's Pov**_

Whitey is reading his list again. He sighs and changes 500 games to 600 games then puts his name tag onto his desk.

_**Cat's Room **_

Cat and Jade are looking around at her room now painted dark pink with a wall to wall poster of a black and white movie audience on her wall.

"It's like they're all judging you." Jade softly says. "You can't in here anymore. Well, Chase should be here soon."

"Jade, you're by best friend." Cat states.

"So..."

"No, I mean it. You're my best friend, you know that right?"

"Yeah, crazy. What drugs are you on and can I have some?" Jade asked.

"I need to tell you something..."

_**Bree's Room **_

Bree and Beck are lying on her bed, talking. Beck notices that she's not really happy. "What's wrong?"

"I had a little disagreement with Chase."

"About me?"

"No, um, just the way he's been acting. He's really disappointing me." Bree says and Beck suddenly laughs, "What?"

"Nothing, it's just, kind of ironic." He responded.

"What's ironic?"

"Chase, being a jerk."

"How is that...?" She paused. "How is that ironic?"

"Well, because that used to be my role, right? I mean this whole thing started because I was just trying to mess with Chase. It's just kind of weird, that's all." Bree looks shocked at what he says, but he doesn't notice.

_**Karen's Café**_

Deb is putting up a sign that says "Welcome Home Karen" as Douglas walks in. Walking to the counter, Douglas says, "I need to come home."

"No. No."

"Deb..."

"Don't, Douglas. There's nothing you can say anymore. I want a divorce."

_**Donald and Chase **_

"So, you excited to see your mom?" Donald asked, looking at Chase as he drives.

"Yeah."

"It seems like just yesterday I was kissing her goodbye at the airport."

"Wait, you were kissing my mother?"

"Yeah, saying goodbye."

"Okay, Donald, could you just do me a favor and keep the PDA to a minimum."

"You think maybe you could keep that tattoo covered up for a while? Like, say, the rest of your life." Donald continues as he stops at a red light. "Listen, Chase, I know it wasn't always smooth sailing between us, but, whatever your mom wants us to me, I just want you to know that..."

"I love you too, Donald." The light turns green to go straight but the left turn light is still red. Donald turns anyway and a truck smashes into Chase's side. Douglas sees the accident and runs to the car. Keith struggles to get out his side.

"Donald!" Douglas helps him. "Easy, easy Donald, I got you. Come on."

"Chase...get Chase!" Donald struggles to say. Chase is unconscious. Douglas tries to feel his pulse. He tries to call 911 but it doesn't connect. "Douglas. Is Chase okay?"

"He's going to be okay, Donald." He goes to the passenger's side and pulls Chase out to put him in his car. Douglas finally gets to the Mission Creek Memorial Hospital with Donald in the passenger seat and Chase in the backseat. Douglas jumps out and carries Chase inside. "I need a doctor! My brother's in the car, he needs some help!"

Doctors and nurses run to the car and to him with a gurney.

"What happened?" One of the doctors asks.

"There was a car accident. He was on the passenger's side; nearest point of impact."

"Set him up for chest tube, cross in time for 4 units." The doctor orders the surgeons then turns to Douglas. "He's a minor?"

"Yeah."

"He's going to need surgery."

"Do whatever you need to do, Doc."

"You're his legal guardian?"

Douglas pauses for a second, "He's my son." He admits before the doctors wheel him away.

Moments later, the doctor is examining Donald. "Well, you've got a concussion and I'm going to have to close that. But you'll be fine. So, how much have you had to drink to day?"

_**Chase in Surgery **_

Doctors are working and giving him oxygen. Suddenly, he starts to flat line, but the doctors get him back after shocking him with difilibrators.

_**Hospital Hallway**_

Three doctors walk quickly by Donald, who looks nervous. He pulls out his cell phone.

_**Airport **_

Karen looks around for them when a voice comes up on the loudspeaker. "Paging Karen Roe, Karen Roe to the nearest white courtesy phone."

Karen walks over to the phone and picks it up. "This is Karen Roe."

_**Next Chapter: **_**I Shall Believe **- While holding a vigil at Chase's bed side as he lays in a coma, Karen meets Jade, who is now dating Chase.


	14. I Shall Believe

**A/N: I figured out who Andre could be; he could be Skills, so from now on, it'll be Andre.**

Chapter 14 - I Shall Believe

**_Hospital Room_**

"How long will this take?" Donald asks as he's being patched up.

"We're just about done here now."

"I don't mean me. I'm talking about my nephew, Chase. How long will he be in surgery?"

"Well, it depends on how serious his injuries are." The doctor finishes and walks away as Donald gets out phone and dials a number.

_**Bree's Room **_

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Bree asked, getting up and looking at him.

"About what?"

"About the way we started." She responded as her phone starts to ring in the background.

"Nothing. Just when I first came to you for tutoring, I figured the easiest way to mess with Chase was to hook up with you, but..."

"So everything between us has been a lie?" Bree asked, interrupting him.

"No, that's not it."

"I can't believe this; Chase was right about you all along." She responded.

_"Bree, pick up. There's been an accident and Chase is hurt pretty bad. Bree?"_ Donald's voice comes up on the answering machine. Bree runs over to it and picks up the phone.

"Donald, hey...he's going to make it right? Okay, thanks." She ends the call as Beck gets up.

"Come on, I'll take you to the hospital." Beck offers.

"I can't talk to you right now, Beck."

"Bree, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Just go. Just go." She dials a number on the phone as Beck leaves.

_**Cat's Room **_

Cat is still trying to tell Jade about she and Chase. Jade asks, "Hey, you know you can tell me anything, what is it?"

"It's just...There's something you should know." Cat is about to tell her, but her phone rings. She answers it and starts talking to Bree, who is speaking frantically. "Bree, what's wrong?" She looks shocked and grabs her bag.

"Cat, what?" Jade was getting curious.

"Chase. There's been an accident. You should go to him."

_**Hospital **_

Donald is sitting alone when Karen comes in. "Donald." Karen calls him. "I'm so glad you're okay. Where is he."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't see the other car."

"Where's the operating room?" Karen asked. "I need someone to tell me what's happening."

"They asked us to wait here and they're going to let us know when he's in recovery."

"I couldn't get a cab and the only thing I had to pay with was Euros. He's got to be alright, Donald. I won't lose him."

"I know."

"I can't."

"Excuse me, Doctor." Donald notices a doctor walking in. He walks to the doctor with Karen. "Were you in the operating room with Chase Davenport?"

"He was in a car accident." Karen says. "He's my son."

"Dr. Hill is an excellent surgeon. The kid's lucky his father got him here so fast."

"His uncle." Karen thinks it was Donald.

"No, it was his father. He may have saved your son's life." The doctor walks away and Karen turns to Donald, confused.

"Um, Douglas saw the accident. He pulled Chase out of the car and drove us here.

"Douglas?"

"Yeah, he knew Chase was in bad shape so he couldn't wait. And Douglas gave the surgeon permission to operate."

Karen asks, "How could he?"

"He said he was Chase's father."

"Donald." Jade comes in crying. "Donald, is he okay?"

"Oh, honey, we don't know yet." Donald answered.

"I was supposed to see him tonight. He was supposed to come after the airport and..." Jade paused, seeing Karen.

"Um, Karen, this is Jade." Donald introduces.

"I'm Jade, Chase's girlfriend. Hi."

A doctor/surgeon walks in and asks, "Who's here for Chase Davenport?"

"I'm his mother. Is my son okay?"

"He's stable and in recover."

"Could you give a second?" Donald asks Jade.

"Yeah." Jade walks away. The doctor starts to explain everything to Donald and Karen.

"He needed a lot of work. His right lung collapsed and had to be repaired. I had to remove his spleen but there shouldn't be any long term repercussions."

Karen asks, "So, you're saying he's going to be fine?"

"He'll need physical therapy to his shoulder. It separated in the crash, but we were able to reset it. Other than that, he has a concussion and some bruising. But there was a complication during surgery."

"What?"

"Your son lost a lot of blood which caused his heart rate to drop. We lost him for a few seconds. But as I said, he's stable now. And all his vitals look good, so we just have to wait for him to wake up."

"When will that be?" She questioned.

"It could be a couple of house or a couple of days; it's up to him."

"Thank you." Donald thanks.

"You're welcome."

"I'm so sorry." Donald apologizes, hugging Karen.

_**Bree's Room**_

Cat comes in to see Bree sitting on her bed. Sadly, Cat reaches her, "Hey."

"Hey."

"I thought you'd be a the hospital."

"Why aren't you there?" Bree asked.

"I dropped Jade off. It's just kind of weird. She's still with Chase."

"She doesn't know about you guys yet?"

"We were going to tell her tonight." Cat responds. "Don't you want to see him?"

"Yeah I do, but I just can't."

"Why can't you?"

"If you don't mind, I'd really like to be alone right now."

"Yeah, yeah, okay. But I'm sure his mom would really like to see you."

"Cat, I'll go when I'm ready."

"Sure." Cat leaves her room.

_**Hospital Front Desk**_

"They took my son out of recovery." Karen walks over to the desk and informs the nurse. "The nurse had me fill out these insurance forms."

"What's your son's name?" The receptionist lady asked.

"Chase Davenport." Hearing that name, a cop walks up.

The cop asks, "Davenport; from the car accident?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I need to get a statement from that driver, Donald Davenport. He's a lucky guy."

"Yeah, he got a couple of stitches."

"Well, that's not exactly what I mean. See your husband's blood alcohol level was just shy the legal limit. Another hundredth of a point, he's in big trouble now."

**_Chase's Hospital Room_**

Donald is sitting by his bed; Karen comes in and kisses Chase. Donald states, "I'll never forgive myself if he's not okay."

Upset, Karen turns to him and asks, "Were you drinking?"

"Karen..." Donald starts to say.

"Were you?

"I wasn't drunk."

"That's not what I asked you." Karen says. "Were you drinking before you drove Chase?"

"Yes, but..."

"I trusted you." Karen interrupts him. "I want you to leave." Saddened, Donald grabs his jacket and leaves.

**_Karen's Café - Day_**

Bree is working at the counter. Cat comes in and walks over. "Bree, what are you doing?"

"Inventory."

"Chase is lying in a hospital. Why can't you just go see him?"

"He wouldn't want to see me."

"What are you talking about?" Cat asked. "You guys are best friends."

"We weren't last night. We got into a fight."

"About what?"

"You and him sneaking around behind Jade's back. The last time I said to him was 'I don't like the person you're becoming and the next time we see each other, don't talk to me'."

"You didn't mean it."

"Cat, what if I can't take it back? What if he doesn't forgive me?"

"He will, but you just need to see him. I'll tell you what. Whenever you decide that you're ready, I'll go to the hospital with you; strength in numbers."

"I'll see you." Cat walks out of the café.

_**Hospital Waiting Room**_

Deb walks in with food and a coffee. She walks over to Karen and says, "Hi." She watches as Karen turned to her. "Beck told me about Chase. I'm so sorry. How is he?"

"He's still unconscious, but the doctors say his vital signs are strong."

"Oh, that's good news. I figured you hadn't had to chance to grab any food."

"I'm not really that hungry."

"Well, at least have some decent coffee. I don't want you to worry about anything other than Chase. I'll take care of the café as long as you need."

"Thanks, Deb. I appreciate that."

"Here you go." Deb gives her coffee.

"All night, I sat up watching Chase. And I kept thinking I'm the one who can't wake up. This has to be some sort of dream, because if this isn't a dream, it's got to be some sort of punishment."

"Punishment for what?"

"For being selfish; I mean, if I hadn't gone to Italy, this wouldn't have happened."

"You can't think that way. This is not your fault."

"And if you had told me yesterday that the Davenport brother I would feel grateful to is Douglas, I would have said you were crazy."

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Douglas brought Chase to the hospital. If it wasn't for him, Chase wouldn't have made it."

_**Chase's Hospital Room**_

Cat comes in alone. "Hey, it's me. Can you hear me?" She holds his hand. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me, okay? Never mind. Um, I just came by to tell you that I'm probably not going to be around very much. With Jade here, it's just kind of weird. But I'm with you Chase, you know that. And I'll wait forever if I have to." She notices Karen coming in. "Oh, I'm sorry. Nobody was here." Cat starts to walk out.

"You don't have to go." Karen stopped her. "He's allowed visitors."

"Okay. I'm Cat."

"I know. Chase has talked about you." Karen puts down Deb's basket of food. "It's nice that people want to do something, but the last thing I can think about right now is food."

"You'll be glad to have it in a couple of days. I swear the cook at this hospital gets a bonus for making people sick."

"Sounds like you've spent some time here."

"Yeah, I did when my mom died."

"I'm sorry."

"No..."

"How did she die?" Karen asked.

"She had a car accident."

"You're a good friend to visit." Karen says. "I've been expecting Bree to come by."

"She and Chase got in some argument and she's really beating herself up over it."

"They'll patch it up. Best friends can forgive each other for anything."

"Hey stranger. Check it out." Jade walks in with a bunch of bags. "I dropped so much cash at the gift shop I think they're going to name it after me. And I got something for you too, Karen. Nothing makes me feel better when I'm blue than chocolate and I figured we could be in a better place if we dipped into a sugar coma so..." Cat looks at her and Karen looks down. "I'm sorry. I'm such an idiot. I didn't..."

"It's okay, Jade." Karen interrupts her.

Jade walks over to Chase and kisses his cheek, "Hey, baby. How are you doing?"

"Listen, I got to go." Cat says, starting to walk out.

"Okay. I've got go now, but I'll see you later."

"Sure."

"Okay."

Cat tells Karen, "It was really nice meeting you."

"You too."

_**Karen's Café**_

Bree is serving food when Beck comes in. He walks up to her and asks, "How Chase?"

"Like you care." Bree remarks.

"Bree, come on, that's not fair. Look, we're not tight, but Iodnt want to see the guy in the hospital."

"Why? If he's out of circulation, then you can't use me to piss him off?"

He tries to keep up with her as she moves around, doing her job. " Hey, would you just stand still for a second so we could talk about this?"

"There's not a chance in hell."

"Alright, fine, don't talk to me, but at least time me to see Chase today."

"You know what, Cat's already doing it after my shift, and even if she wasn't, I wouldn't go with you." She walks away from him and Deb comes in.

Deb walks over and asks, "Hey, is she alright?"

"No, not really...so this split with you and dad, this is real, huh?"

"Yeah, honey, it is. How do you feel about that?"

"Actually, I'm fine. How sad is that?" Beck leaves.

_**Chase's Hospital Room**_

Cat and Bree walk in, Karen is asleep next to the bed. Bree starts to tears up, saying, "I can't." She turns and walks into the hall."

"Bree, wait." Cat follows her out and leans next to her on the wall. "It's alright."

"No, it's not. He's lying in there and there's nothing that I can do about it."

"Well you could be there for him, just go talk to him. You'll feel better."

"I don't deserve to feel better. I mean, giving him an apology is not worth anything if he's awake to hear it. You know, if I go in there, I'm just going to start crying and that's just the last think Karen needs."

"Why don't you let her be the judge of that?" Cat asked.

"I can't." She walks away.

_**Davenport Body Shop**_

"Hi." Deb greets Donald, walking in.

"Hey."

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. I left a couple of messages about Chase."

"Yeah, yeah, thanks. Is there any change?"

"No." Deb answered. "Have you talked to Karen today?"

"She doesn't want me at the hospital. I can't say I blame her."

"Well, she's just in shock right now, Donald. Once Chase gets better, things will go back to normal."

"I'm not so sure about that, Deb. Karen isn't speaking to me, Chase is unconscious, and I'm to blame. That's a tough one to bounce back from."

"Just give it some time."

"It's funny, you know. I wasted all those years being too afraid to tell Karen how I felt. And then when she kissed me at the airport and suddenly everything I hoped for seemed possible. All I had to do was wait 6 weeks. Just 6 weeks. Yesterday should've been the best day fo my life. Now it's all gone."

_**Chase's Hospital Room**_

Jade is reading a magazine and Karen is watching Chase. Jade suddenly asks, "Do you follow astrology?"

"Not really."

"Me neither." Jade answers. "It's not as accurate as numerology."

"Have you two been dating a long time?" Karen asked.

"We've been dating over a month now." Jade answered just as a woman comes in.

"Ms. Roe? I'm Amy Quinn from the billing department. I had a couple of questions about your insurance.

"Sure, come in."

Jade starts to get up, "I'll just go do something." She walks out of the room, allowing Amy to sit in her seat.

"I was wondering if you had any supplemental insurance."

"No, I just have the regular hospitalization, why?"

"Well, the care your son needs will almost certainly cost more than your coverage maximums."

"Oh wow. I never figured I'd need more than that."

"Expenses do add up these days."

"Could we set up some sort of payment plan?" Karen asked.

"Why don't you come talk to me after things settle down? We'll see what we can figure out."

"Thank you."

After the woman leaves, Karen starts to fix his covers and silently sings You Are My Sunshine. She sees Chase's tattoo under his sleeve. "Is there anything that didn't change while I was gone?" She asked. Someone knocks on the door and Whitey comes in.

He asks, "How is he doing?"

"He's the same."

"How about you?"

"I'm fine."

"You got a lot of talents, Karen, but lying is not one of them." Karen gives him a hug and then sits down with him.

"When Chase was a little boy, we used to play this game,_What Would You Do_. What would you do if I blacked out? What would you do if the house caught on fire? I was his only parent, I wanted to prepare him if anything happened to me. But I wasn't prepared for something happening to him."

Whitey asks, "Why don't you take a break?"

"How could Donald be so careless?" Karen asks. "I trusted him with the only thing in the world that matters to me.

"Chase matters to Donald too." Whitey says as Karen sighs. "Look, Karen, you have every reason to be angry, Lord knows. But no man ever loved a boy any more than Donald loves Chase. That ought to count for something."

_**River Court**_

Leo, Junk, Fergie, and Andre are sitting on the benches. Robbie walks up. "Well, it looks like we all had the same idea huh?" Robbie asked. "It's better to think of Chase here than in the hospital, right?"

"What, have you seen him?" Andre asks.

"Yeah, there's no change."

"This sucks." Junk comments. Leo turns on his camera and tapes himself.

"Hey Chase, it's Leo. I just want to say, we're pulling for you."

"Right, cause you the dog. Yep, you're my dog." Andre says into the microphone. "Hey, don't think I'm about to spot you any points when you bring your little scrawny ass back out on this court man. It ain't gonna happen."

Fergie is the next one to speak, "Yeah, spleen or no spleen, when you bust out, it's on!"

"And although the ethics of broadcasting prohibit me from gambling," Leo says. "I can say unofficially my money's on Davenport."

"What money?" Junk asked. "You borrowed ten dollars from me last week. Hey Chase, Leo can keep his cash if you come back soon, alright?"

"Robbie, any thoughts?" Leo asked, pointing the camera to him. Robbie grabs it.

He says, "We need you back man. It's simple as that."

_**Karen's Café**_

Deb is working in the back when Douglas comes in. She sees him and asks, "What are you doing here? We're supposed to meet at the mediator's office."

"I know. But I wanted to tell you in person, I'm not going."

"We both agreed to mediation."

"We also both agreed till death do us part. You didn't have any trouble backing out of that one. Maybe you're wrong about what's best for this family too."

"What family?" Deb asked. "We haven't been one in a long time."

"That doesn't mean we can't be one. We chose each other. We built a life together. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Don't put this on me, Douglas. We've both made mistake, it's time to correct them."

"Our marriage was not a mistake. And Beck is too important to me to just see him on the weekends. He needs both of us."

Deb threatens, "Don't make me hire a lawyer."

"I'm asking you not to. And I'm asking you to remember when you were the one who needed forgiveness when you were the one who almost lost this family."

"That was a long time ago."

"Exactly, and we made it through that. And I'm glad we did. So don't throw us away; give us one more chance."

"I'm all out of chances, Douglas."

"I may not show it in the way you want, but this family is my life. I'm not giving up. I won't agree to a divorce."

The Roof

Bree is sitting alone when Cat comes up behind her. Letting her know she's coming up to her, Cat speaks up, "Deb said I might find you up here."

"Hey."

Cat compliments, "This place is cool."

"Yeah, it is. Chase and I built this back when it was the two of us against the world. Sorry I ran out of the hospital."

"No, don't sweat it." Cat responded. "I'm probably not the best person to be giving moral support anyway. Maybe if you went with Beck, he'd give you moral support."

"Beck and I are taking a little break."

Cat asks, "What happened?"

"He was using me to get to Chase."

"Okay, Bree, don't believe that. I know Beck and he's into you."

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, why do you think that you're no good for moral support?" Bree asks.

"You said that you were disappointed in Chase for betraying Jade and I just figured you felt the same way about me."

"Actually, no I don't. I know what it's like to need Chase in your life."

"I never let myself need anybody, ever, not since m mom died. But with Chase, he looks at me and really sees me, just right down into my soul."

"I just want to tell him that I love him and I'm sorry."

"I just want to tell him I'm in love with him."

"Yeah."

**_Hospital Front Desk_**

"Excuse me, could I drop this off for Chase Davenport?" Donald walks over with a package.

"It's visiting hours; you could give it to him yourself." The receptionist says.

"Could you just let him know it's from Donald Davenport?" She nods. "Thank you." He's about to leave but the receptionist stops him.

"Oh, wait! You're my sticky note. Billings got some questions about a payment discrepancy. They need to talk to Chase Davenport's mother or father. That's you right?"

"Which way is the billing department?"

_**Cat's Room**_

"That hospital seriously need a makeover." Jade says, walking to Cat's room as she sits on the bed. "You know, it's not a wonder to me that everyone who's there is sick."

"How's Chase?" Cat asks.

"He's the same. It kind of scares me."

"Why?"

"I know what the doctors said, I'm just worried he's not going to wake up."

"Jade, don't think that."

"I know. It's just the thought of losing him now. Anyway, um, I was going to go and grab a bite to eat, then go back over there. Do you want to go with me?"

"You know, I can't right now. Maybe later?"

"You've been saying that for two days." Jade states."Look, I know it's hard for you."

"You do?"

"I know your mom died in that hospital. Chase needs his friends right now nad even if it's hard to be around him in that place, he's worth the trouble."

"Yeah, he is. I'll try to come by tomorrow."

"You're the best." Jade hugs her and leaves. "I'll see you."

Chase's Hospital Room

Karen is reading the sports paper to him, "Let's see. LeBron James is first among rookies in points and assists per game. Carmelo Anthony is second."

"Are you a big basket ball fan?" Jade asks, coming in with a poster.

"It's important to Chase so I like to try and keep up."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Jade responds. "I'm suffering through Salinger for him. Would it kill a guy to read a little Jackie Cohen's?" She takes down a picture on the wall and hangs up a home-made get well sigh with pictures on it.

Karen asks, "Did you make that?"

"Yeah, I figured it'd be nice for Chase to have when he wakes up. That's us at a Bear Creek game, and those are coasters from the place where I kicked his butt playing pool."

"Nothing from the tattoo parlor." Karen states. Jade chuckles and turns to her.

"Okay, that's totally on me. He's just so serious all the time, you know, I thought a tattoo might lighten him up."

"And you couldn't take him to a comedy?" Karen asked.

"So, you're not a big tattoo fan."

"Not on my son. No."

"I'm sorry. Honestly, I think I could probably set myself on fire and my mom wouldn't notice, so it's kind of hard to remember that some moms would."

_**River Court**_

A lot of people are drawing on the court with chalk. Bree and Cat pull up. Bree questions, "What is this?"

"It started last night. People wanted to do something for Chase."

"Is that Tim?" Bree notices Tim drawing or writing something on the court. "He's always been such an ass to Chase."

"Maybe it's his way of saying he's sorry." Cat suggested.

"Wow. I am not surprised Beck isn't here." She starts to walk around reading everything." As she does that, Robbie walks over to Cat and she.

"Hey, you gotta love watching people make sense out of the way they feel for Chase."

"Yeah, who knew Tim could spell, right?" Cat asked him.

"Yeah, right. So, how are you doing?"

"I'm hanging in I guess."

"Hey, look, I know we don't really run together, but if you need someone to talk to you, I'm around."

"Thanks Robbie." Robbie nods and walks onto the court.

_**Beck's Driveway**_

Beck is shooting hoops and misses a shot. Cat comes up behind him, commenting, "Your free throws look like crap."

"Glad to see you're picking up the slack in my dad's absence."

"He's not around?" Cat asks.

"He moved out. My parents are getting a divorce."

"Oh wow, um, I'm sorry Beck. I didn't know." Cat apologized.

"It's alright. They suck together anyway. Speaking of, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"Bree; Actually, um, listen I don't know what you did to her but I do know that she's the best thing that's ever happened to you."

"Are you including yourself in that?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Well, yeah she is." Beck responded. "She just doesn't believe me."

"So, what happened?"

"I told her that I only went after her at first to screw with Chase."

"You're a real jackass, you know that?" Cat asked.

"Yeah, I was. But it hasn't been about that with me and Bree for a long time."

"Beck, Bree needs your help. She can't face Chase."

"That's not really my place is it?" Beck asked. "I mean, Chase isn't exactly my biggest fan."

"It doesn't mean you couldn't try for Bree."

"So, is this advice for me or for you? Well, this is kind of weird, huh? The two of us talking about each other's relationships."

"It's all weird." Cat replied.

"Yeah."

_**Billing Department **_

"Thank you for making time to see me." Karen sits at Amy's desk.

"No problem. I'm sorry you had to wait. Okay, here's your receipt."

"Um, I'm sorry. I'm a little tired. I don't understand."

"The bill's been taken care of." Amy responded. "If you accrue any other expenses, we'll charge the credit card on file."

"What credit card?" Karen asked. "Who paid this bill?"

"Let me just check." Amy looks at the computer. "It was paid by your husband, Donald Davenport."

_**Chase's Hospital Room**_

Jade is sitting alone at the bed, Karen comes in. Jade looks up at her and asks. "Are you okay?"

"Ever since I landed, nothing has been the way I expected it to be."

"Including your son's new girlfriend, right?"

"That's not true. I really don't know you, Jade."

As Karen sits down next to her, Jade says, "Look, I know I talk a lot when I'm nervous. Actually, I'm pretty gabby all the time, but my stupid quotient kind of goes sky high when I'm flipped out and meeting my boyfriend's mother in the hospital. With all this going on is pretty much off the stress charts for me, but I'm here for you if you need anything."

"Thank you."

"And just so you know, the only thing I really want to see is Chase laugh again. You know, hear him sing off-key and watch him roll his eyes at me when I steal French fries off his plate. I guess what I'm trying to see is that I'm crazy about your son. And I hope that's enough for you."

"Actually that's more than enough."

Deb knocks and comes in, "I figured that if I kept bringing food, you're bound to eat sometime.?

"Oh, my god, I'm starving." Jade says, then realization hits her. "But that's probably not for me. Example of that stupid quotient thing again. Okay, I think I'm just going to go."

"No, no, why don't you stay?" Karen asks. "We could have dinner together. I mean, if you're interested."

"I'd like that." Jade say.

"Good."

"I'll go get drinks." Jade leaves the room and Karen looks at the Karen's Café delivery bag.

"That looks great."

Deb responds, "Oh yeah, a start up company gave us 1000 for free as a test run. I know it's the last thing on your mind, but the business is fine."

"It's a strange world when the least important thing is doing well, and the most important thing is just hanging on."

"Yeah." Deb replies. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Yeah, could you thank Douglas for me? I haven't had a chance. Things have been so crazy, but as soon as I can leave the hospital, I'll stop by the house."

"Um, Douglas isn't living at the house anymore."

"We're getting a divorce."

"This may sound crazy, but I'm sorry."

"Thanks. See ya." Deb leaves.

Later after Karen and Brooke have eaten, Jade has left, Karen is sleeping in a chair. Beck comes in and sits by Chase. He sees Karen sleeping, so he speaks quietly, "Hey man. I kind of need to talk to you. So, I'm here because everything's screwed up. I know you don't trust me with Bree, but I like her a lot, you know? She's hurting right now, too. She needs you to open your eyes ma. She feels like she can't be forgiven. And I'm sort of in the same place." He leans in more, putting his hands on the bed. "This accident might not turn out so bad, you know? You get to take a break from the game, the pressure and people's expectations. I wish I had that chance. This might be hard to believe, but maybe you're the lucky one. You can get out." Chase's fingers lift up onto Beck's hands and his eyes open. "Hey."

"Water." Chase's voice sounds scratchy. Beck gets a cup and helps him drink. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story. Let me get your mom." He goes over and wakes up Karen.

"Beck?"

"I think Chase wants to talk to you." She goes to the bed and Beck leaves.

"Chase? Wake up sweetie, come on. Talk to me."

Chase sings, "Don't take my sunshine away."

"You heard that."

"I'm glad you're back mom."

Karen responds, "You too. Now I can kill you for that tattoo."

_**Karen's Cafe **_

Bree is still working. She walks away from a customer and sees Beck walking over to her. "Beck, I am not in the mood right now, okay?"

"Chase's awake." He informs her. "I was there when he opened his eyes. I went to see him."

Bree asks, "Why?"

"Because I knew you could. I wanted him to know that you were thinking about him. Look I know it was wrong to go after you for the reasons that I did. I can't apologize for it. I'm glad I did it. I'm not that person anymore, it's because of you. Let me take you to him."

_**Davenport Body Shop**_

Donald is sitting alone. He opens a ring box and looks at it, then closes it.

_**River Court**_

Cat is drawing a large heart with the number 3 in it in chalk on the court.

_**Douglas' Shop**_

Douglas cautiously gets up when Karen runs in. "He handed me the consent forms, he needed surgery. You have a right to be upset but..." She interrupts him, giving him a hug.

"Thank you."

_**Chase's Hospital Room**_

Jade is sitting on his bed when Bree comes in. Jade goes to the door to stand with Beck and Bree sits on his bed.

"Hey, buddy. I missed you." Chase smiles at her. Bree nods and lays on his chest, crying.

_**Chase's House**_

Karen walks in to see the We Missed You banner along with dried flowers. She sits at the table and starts to cry.

**Next Chapter - Suddenly Everything Has Changed: After his near-death experience, Chase decides her made the wrong decision in girlfriends. **


	15. Suddenly Everything has Changed

Chapter 15 - Suddenly Everything has Changed

Chase is getting ready to the leave the hospital. As he opens a drawer, Karen warns, "Hey, easy there tough guy, you'll pop a stitch."

"It's just a drawer, Mom. I'm not helpless."

"You will be if you keep this up. What are you looking for?" Karen asked, walking over.

Chase responds, "The book Donald dropped off." He continues as she hands him the book. "I don't get it. You know, Douglas does one decent thing and you cut him some slack. And yet, Donald makes one mistake and you cut him out."

Walking in, the doctor asks, "How are we doing today?"

"Like I had my spleen ripped out." Chase commented.

"You'll be sore for a while." The doctor informs.

"What about basketball? Will I get it back? The way it was?" Chase asked.

"Your shoulder was pretty badly damaged." The doctor says. "Full recovery may not be possible."

Chase is disappointed.

_**Davenport House**_

The phone rings and Beck looks at the I.D. Turning to his mom, he talks about Douglas, "It's him.

"Don't pick up." Deb orders. The answering machine picks up; Douglas is talking, trying to get Deb to pick up. Deb continues. "Your father is refusing to cooperate with the attorneys. So, this custody thing may end up in front of a judge. If that happens, things could get ugly, sweetie. But, I want you to know, I'm only trying to protect you, Beck."

"How great is it that Dad has an off button now?" Beck asked, pushing off on the machine. "Look, mom, I think you're doing the right thing for yourself, even for him."

"It's you I'm worried about."

"Well, don't. I get it. You and dad splitting up is a good thing."

_**Chase's House**_

Chase and Karen are coming from the hospital. As they head to his room with his belongings, Karen starts to speak, "The nurse said you set a new VWU record; Visitors While Unconscious. You know Whitey came to see you, and Deb, and the guys from the river court."

"What about anybody else from school?" Chase asked. "Did Cat come?"

"Once; I saw her holding your hand and talking to you."

"She never came back?"

"I don't think so, why?" She asks, opening Chase's bedroom door to see Jade inside.

"Surprise!" Jade shouts. They look around at many plants and flowers around his room.

"Oh, wow." Karen speaks.

"What, bad idea?" Jade asked.

Chase responds, "No, no you just surprised me."

"Then mission accomplished. I Fung swayed your room." Jade says. "It promotes healing. I just wanted to see Welcome Home, Boyfriend." She kisses him.

Chase turns to his mom and asks, "Can we have a minute, mom?"

"Keep it short; you need to be in bed." Karen leaves the room. Jade helps Chase over to his bed and sits across from him on the edge, feet touching the floor.

"Hey, I want you to know I'm here for you, whatever you need. And if she's not home, I might actually give you a sponge bath."

"Actually, I can't do that for a while."

"What, bathe?"

"No." Chase responded. "You know, sex."

"Oh. That sucks. A little cardio might just be what you need though. What?"

"I'm just going to need some time to figure some stuff out."

"Whatever you need, I'm here for you."

"Yeah...see, that's the thing."

Jade, getting where it's getting, asks, "Are you breaking up with me?"

"I just think it's the best thing for right now."

"Maybe for you."

"Jade, I'm sorry."

Jade leaves the house crying, "Apparently not enough." She comments.

_**Lawyer's Office**_

Douglas and Deb are sitting in their lawyer's, Cynthia, office. After looking through a file, Cynthia starts to speak. "Douglas, Deb has made it more than clear that she intends to divorce you."

"Or murder me." Douglas responds. "Did she tell you she threatened to stab me in my sleep?"

"It was a figure of speech." Deb defends.

"Your client's trying to shut me out of my son's life and I won't let that happen."

Deb tries to stop him, "Douglas."

He ignores her, continuing, "And you know you can't throw me out of the house without a court order."

"You already moved out." Cynthia stated.

"That's because I was threatened with physical bodily harm. I did what I had to do to protect myself. And now that things have calmed down, I don't know, maybe I'll move back in."

"I'll get a restraining order." Deb declares. "I'll prove what an abusive son of a bitch you really are."

"The gloves are coming off, huh, Deb? Fine, I see you're calling the shots here; I'm just following the lead. All that stuff from your past may have to come out, Deb."

Deb asks, "Do you really want to do that to Beck?"

"No, Deb the question is, do you?"

_**Chase's Room **_

Chase is checking his messages when he sees Cat has left one. _"Hey, it's me, Cat. Where are you? I really want to see you. Give me a call." _The message ends.

_**Dream**_

Chase takes off his sling and starts playing basketball. Cat catches the ball and they kiss. When they pull away, Jade is standing behind them.

_**End of Dream **_

"Chase?" Bree asks, waking in to see Chase sleeping. "Chase!" Chase's eye pop open and he watches as Bree sits down on the edge of the bed across from him. "What hurts the most?" She asks.

"All of it."

"So, you broke up with Jade to be with Cat?"

Chase asks, "You think that's wrong?"

"Oh, I'm not in any position to judge, but the heart wants what it wants right? At least Jade knows the truth now. Anyway, I should let you get some rest." She gives him a hug.

"You look good." Chase compliments.

"Thank you. By the way, you're lucky you didn't die because I would have killed you."

"I love you too." Chase says jokingly. Cat comes into his room and Bree notices her.

"I'm going to go elsewhere." She leaves. When it's clear she's gone, Cat rushes over and starts kissing Chase. She pulls away and speaks.

"I was so afraid you weren't going to wake up."

"What, and miss out on being with you?" Chase asked. "When you never came to the hospital, I started to worry that maybe you changed your mind."

"No, it was just all too weird with Jade there. I started to tell her about us the night of your accident, but then Bree called and everything changed."

"I figured. That's why I ended things with Jade today.

"You did?" She asked. "Did you tell her why?"

"I told her I needed to focus on getting well."

Cat suggested, "Maybe I should tell her the rest."

"Sure, could you just give me a few days to straighten up?" Chase asked. "Okay, then we'll tell her together, like we said. Besides, we're not exactly going to be dating in the meantime, you know?" They kiss, but Cat's phone rings. The I.D. says "Jade's Cell". She pushes end to stop it from ringing.

_**River Court **_

Later, Chase is walking around, looking at Cat's heart drawing. He doesn't notice Karen drive up. Walking over to him, she asks, "Am I going to have to tie you to your bed to make you rest?"

Chase apologizes, "I'm sorry."

"The next time you leave the house, I'll be cashing in your life insurance." Karen states. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Jade's waiting for you when you get home from the hospital. Cat's there when I show up after work. What happened when I went to Italy? I thought you were interested in Cat."

"I was." Chase responded. "It just got too complicated. I don't know where she stood with me and so I started dating Jade."

"You know, when I first met Jade, I thought she was a little nutty. But the way she looked after you, she proved me wrong. She's crazy about you and I think that's a good thing."

"Actually, I broke up with Jade yesterday." He stated.

"What?" Karen asked. "Why?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Okay, but when you want to, I'm here alright?"

_**Inside the Mall**_

Bree and Cat are walking when suddenly, Cat freezes and turns around. "Cat, what's the matter."

"Um..." They end up right in front of Jade sitting alone on a bench.

"Cat?" Jade called her over. "I looked all over for you. Did you not get my messages?"

"Really? Oh, no, my phone's been whacked out all day." Cat lied. "Are you okay?"

Jade starts to cry, "Not really, no. I said I wasn't going to do this and I said that it wasn't worth it, but it is. Chase broke up with me."

"I'm sorry." If only Jade knew the truth.

"I was looking forward to getting a chance to show him how much he means to me and he said he just wants to be friends. And every idiot knows that that's just the code for go away. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Look, if Chase said he wants to be friends, I'm sure he means it." Cat responded.

"How do you do that with Chase?" Jade asks Bree. Cat looks to Bree.

Bree answers, "You sort of do everything that you've been doing without the sex part."

"There's a first time for everything, right?"

_**Bree's Room**_

Beck and Bree have finally gotten back together. They are hanging out and Bree goes through some things in her room. Beck picks up a shirt, "Wait a minute, is this..."

Bree turns around and asks, "What?"

"Is this a new outfit?"

"He noticed." Bree commented jokingly. "Yes, it is. It's all part of the new me. Do you like?"

"Yeah, but what's wrong with the old you?" Beck asked.

"Nothing. I just thought I'd branch out into some new things."

"This could be good." Beck replied. "Like what?"

"I don't know, there's a lot of stuff I wanted to try that I never did."

"Like fooling around with me."

She playfully slaps him. "Like snowboarding."

Beck replies, "Okay, well, I can teach you how to do that too."

"Yeah?" Bree asked. "Cool."

"What else?"

"Singing."

"Do you sing?" Beck questioned.

"I, no, I mean I sing when no one's around."

"Well, I think you should sing for me sometime."

"Okay, right, yeah. I'll catch you on the slopes."

"You know, I don't know how I'd deal with all this crap with my parents if you weren't around." Beck changes the subject.

"Well, you're welcome."

"I'm serious. It's like the worst things get with my parents, the better things get with you."

"Are things really awful with your parents?"

"It's a war zone." Beck states. "And I'm stuck with whoever's got the best lawyer."

"Oh, that's..." Bree paused. "You should know your rights."

"It's not like I have any."

"No, you do. Let's find out; knowledge is power." Bree gets on an internet search.

_**Chase's House**_

Robbie suddenly puts a paper bag in front of Chase. He eyes the bag and asks, "What's that?"

Robbie replied, "This is a play-station 2 from the team. Even Beck kicked in. We got you an NBA Shoot out and NCAA Final 4. Keep you in the game until you get back."

"Yeah, well the doctor says I might not be back."

"Well, don't listen to them." Robbie says. "I mean, ultimately that's up to you right?"

"I guess so."

"Hey, so I had a..." Robbie paused. "I had a question for you. Do you know if your mom's hiring at the café? I have to get a part time job and I was thinking maybe..."

"You want me to talk to her?" Chase asked.

"You know, if you wanted to put in a good word for me, that's cool." He says. Someone knocks on the door and Donald comes in. "You're popular today huh?"

"Donald, it's good to see you." Chase gives Donald a hug.

"You too. Hey, Robbie."

"Glad to see you're okay." Robbie responded. "Anyway, I got to head out. Hang in there, Chase."

"Tell the team thanks for me." Chase shouted after him as Robbie left. He turns to Donald. "So, where've you been?"

"I was just waiting for a chance when your mom wouldn't be here." He responded. "So, how are you doing?"

"Alive." Chase answered. "You look pretty banged up."

"I got off easy. Chase, I, um, I want you to know how sorry I am about what happened."

"I know that. Donald, come on." They walk over and sit on the couch.

"I shouldn't have had those beers. I was just freaked out about your mom coming home. I just kept thinking, what if Italy changed her? What if after having that experience, she doesn't want to settle for a guy with permanent grease stains?"

"It happened, alright? I know you weren't drunk, so..."

"Yeah, I wish your mom believed that."

"She'll get over it. I'm working on her." He changed to subject to Douglas. "So, Douglas actually saved me, huh?"

"Yeah." Donald responded. "I have to say most of the time, he's an ass, but that night he was definitely a hero."

"Where am I supposed to put that?" Chase asks.

"Just be grateful I guess." Their heads turn to the door when Karen comes in. "Hey. I was just leaving. I'll see ya."

"Mom." Chase starts just as soon as Donald leaves.

She orders, "Get back in bed."

_**Davenport Body Shop**_

"Well, I can't pay unless I make the repair and I can't make the repair unless you send me the part. Cash up front, since when? Alright, fine, fine. Bye." Donald hangs up the phone and turns to see Karen walking in.

"Here's the stuff you left at the house." She sits down some stuff in front of him.

"You didn't need to do that."

"And I'm going to pay you back every penny of Chase's medical bills. It may take me a while, but I'll get the money to you."

"It wasn't a loan, Karen."

"Yes, it was."

"I made a mistake." Donald pointed out.

"Donald, I nearly lost my son because of that mistake. I'm sorry, but I can't change what happened."

"I wish I could." He says as she walks away.

_**Davenport House - Morning**_

Douglas tries to unlock the door and it won't work. Muttering "What the hell?" he knocks and Deb comes up to the other side.

"What do you want?"

"What did you do, change the locks?"

Deb states, "That was my attorney's advice."

"That's great; would you open the door please?" He asked. "We need to talk."

"It's not going to happen, Douglas. You have something to say, you say it to my lawyer." Deb finishes when Beck comes up behind Douglas.

"Damn it, Deb, open the..." He doesn't get to finish when he looks back at Beck.

Beck asks, "What's going on?"

"Your mother's on crack. She changed the locks on my house." He turns back to her and asks, "Will you open the damn door?"

"No!" Deb shouted. "You have to leave."

"Fine, come on, Beck. I'll buy you breakfast." Hearing Douglas' words, she opens the door.

"Beck." She calls him."

"Hey, do you mind?" Douglas asked. "I need to talk to my son."

"Yes, I do mind. I mean it Douglas."

"Okay, this is what I'm talking about. It's sad to see that the lady..."

"Stop, just stop!" Beck shouted, standing between them. "You guys don't get to decide who I live with, alright? I do."

"What are you talking about?" Douglas asked.

"Look it up. It's not your decision; all I have to do is take my case to the judge, and right now, I don't know if I want to live with either of you two." He goes into the house.

"Okay." Douglas leaves and Deb shuts the door.

_**Karen's Café**_

Robbie got a job at the café. After serving someone, he walks up to Karen. "Hey, I really appreciate this, Ms. Roe."

"Oh please, call me Karen. And don't worry about it. Chase put in a good word for you. You got your first table." Robbie goes to clean a table when his phone rings. He picks it up and answers.

"Is everything okay, dad?" He asked into his phone. "You're kidding. We'll, I just started. No. Okay, no, I know. Yeah..." He hangs up and walks back to Karen. "Mrs. Roe? I'm really sorry about this but I got to go."

"Is something wrong?"

"Well, my dad just got called into work so there's no one to watch Jenny."

"Is that your sister?"

"That's my daughter." He realizes something. "Chase didn't tell you?"

"Apparently not."

"I'm really sorry to do this but I..."

Karen cuts him off, "No, it's okay. Just give me a call."

"Okay. Thank you." He walks out.

_**Cat's Room**_

Cat's sitting at the computer drawing when Chase sends her an instant message. _Chase: Where've you been? I'm going nuts!_

She types, "Sorry. I got a strip due." She goes back to drawing Jade crying with the words "He said he just wants to be friends" over here. Chase writes back.

_Chase: You could work on it here. I love to watch you draw._

She types back, "All my stuff is here."

_Chase: Come on, I miss you!_

"I can't. Sorry. I got to go." She signs off line.

_**Chase's House**_

Jade knocks on the dining room door while Karen is sitting at the table, organizing a scrapbook of her trip to Italy. "Come in!" She shouts.

"Hi." Jade greets her, walking into the house.

"Oh, Jade, hi."

Jade asks, "Chase told you we broke up?"

"Actually, yes."

"Okay. I know he said he needed some space, but I was on the internet and I found this website about Spleenectomies and it recommended this herbal tea, so I picked some up for Chase."

"That was very sweet of you." Karen responded. "He's asleep right now, but I'll brew him a cup when he wakes up."

Jade asks, "Will you tell him I said hi?"

"Yeah, of course."

"What is all this?" Jade notices the table covered in pictures.

"Oh, I was putting together a scrapbook from my trip. You want to see?"

"Great."

_**Davenport House**_

Beck is sitting down somewhere in the house when Deb suddenly walks up and says, "I am sorry to put you through this, the divorce I mean."

"It's a little late for that, mom."

"And I know I wasn't always there for you. I guess it was easier to avoid going head to head with your father and I'm sorry you had to pay the price for that."

"Yeah..."

Deb asks, "Can you tell me where you're at?"

"I'm kind of tired of all the lying and the fighting. I'm feeling like I'm caught in the middle of it all."

"That will end as soon as the divorce is final. I just, I want you to stay with me, Beck."

"Things are going to change?"

"I promise you."

"Okay."

_**Chase's House**_

Karen and Jade are still going through the pictures. Jade abruptly asked, "So did you ever actually do any cooking while you were there?"

"Are you kidding? It was culinary boot camp. But we had our Sunday's free. So it was all about fitting the entire country into 6 days."

Jade points at another picture. "Where was this one taken?"

"Oh, that's Piazza of San Marco in Venice. It was so beautiful."

"I'd love to go there someday." She says. They don't hear Chase opening his door. He rounds the corner and listens.

"I don't even know how to describe it, Jade. I got to be an entirely different person for a little while. I almost didn't want to come back."

"Yeah, when things are really special, it makes it that much harder to let go."

"Chase is going through a pretty tough time right now." Karen states.

"I know." Jade replied. "I'm hoping that maybe when he feels better, he'll take another chance on me."

Chase geos back into his room. He takes off his splint, grabs his coat and goes out the door.

_**{Cat's Room}**_

Cat is still drawing when she hears a knock on the door. She turns to see Chase standing in the doorway.

She stands up and starts to say, "Chase, what are you...?"

"I wanted to see you." He interrupted her.

"The doctor said you shouldn't be out. What, are you crazy?" She asks.

"I probably am. I just had to get out of there, you know? I can't get you out of my head. I wish we could just fast forward these next six months. This messed up thing with Jade. So we could just be together. What's going on with Cat? You sign off fast. You...ah!" Chase winces.

"What? Are you okay?"

"Can I just lie down?" Chase lies down on her bed. Cat rushes over and feels her forehead.

"Chase, oh my god, you're burning up!" She exclaimed.

"What are you doing?" He asks as she picks up her phone.

"I'm calling your mom."

"She's with Jade." Chase states.

_**Chase's House**_

Karen and Jade are looking still looking at pictures. "Well, I should go check on Chase." Karen starts to get up, but Jade asks her a question.

"Will you let me?"

"Yeah, sure."

Jade gets up and walks to Chase's room. She opens the door and walks in to see no Chase and his computer open. She sees Cat hovering over Chase on the webcam, and Cat's on the phone.

"Jade!" She hears Karen shout. "It's Chase! I got to go."

"Yeah, I'm coming with you."

**[Hospital]**

Cat is pacing around Chase's bed as he starts to wake up. She notices. "Hey, you're back."

"How long was I out?"

"Only a couple of minutes. Chase, what are we doing to do?" Cat asked just as soon as Karen and Jade come in.

"My god, Chase are you alright?" Karen asked, rushing over.

"Yeah, I think so." He responded.

Cat informs, "The doctor said his fever's going down."

"Where were you?" Karen asked.

"Cat." Jade said, looking at her.

Chase lies, "I was down at the river court. I know I shouldn't have, but I had to get out. I guess I over did it? I started feeling pretty bad and Cat drove by."

Cat was the next one to speak, "So, now that you guys are here, I should probably go."

"Thank you, Cat." Karen says.

"Sure. I'll see you guys later." Cat leaves the cell and Jade looks after her then back at Chase,

Chase apologizes, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you should be. Honestly, Chase..."

"Mom, just wait and not yell at me now until we get home."

"Are you going to be okay?" Jade asks.

"Yeah." He responds. Jade nods before leaving.

_**Beach House **_

Beck is standing on the porch of the beach house when Douglas walks up with a couple of beers. "You want a drink?" He asks.

Beck asks, "Since when do you let me drink?"

"You're old enough." Douglas comments.

"Look, Dad..." Beck starts to say something, but is interrupted by Douglas.

"I know things haven't been easy on you lately. To be honest, when you told us that it's you who gets to choose who you're staying with, I was relieved."

"You were?"

"Absolutely, because you're a smart kid and you know what's best for you, right?"

"Yeah, yeah and that's why I came..."

"You know I've been there for you your whole life. And I admit, sometimes too much. But it's only because I care about you. And I've been trying to pick up the slack for your mom whose been focused on her work all these years. I wish she wouldn't go through this. But she's doing what she feels she has to do. So, I'm just going to have to do the same."

"Meaning what?" Beck asked.

"I'm going to have to make some tough choices where she's concerned. But you should know; this is all in service of you."

"What are you planning on doing, Dad?"

"She's trying to steal you away from me, Beck, so I'm going to fight her. By making things as difficult for her as I can. And the sad part is, and you know how lawyers work, they're going to make her out to be an unfit mother by using all the time she was absent against her. And there's other stuff as well."

"What other stuff?"

"Anything they can find out about her."

"Stuff like what, dad?"

"Come stay with me, Beck. I'll back off and let this divorce go through as quickly as possible. You'd be better off with me. You'd be doing your mother a favor as well."

"Dad, look, I just want to know what you're talking about. What other stuff with mom?"

"Go live with her and find out."

_**Chase's House**_

Karen and Chase are coming inside and once she closes the door, she orders, "Sit down." She takes a seat across from Chase at the kitchen table beside the door. "Now, tell me why you and Cat were really together."

"I told you."

"Chase, you're lying to me. And you wouldn't be unless you're doing something you're not proud of."

"I went to see Cat. We want to be together."

"Behind Jade's back?" Karen asked.

"I broke up with Jade." He stated.

"But apparently you didn't tell her about Cat, and that's a shabby way to treat someone who's really been there for you."

Chase shoots back, "Kind of like the way you're treating Donald."

"Don't change the subject." Karen subjects.

"Mom, I heard you talking to Jade about Italy. You know, I know you had this great time. It was amazing. But you know what I think; you're blaming Donald for taking that away from you."

"I blame Donald for nearly killing you."

"No, you weren't there, Mom!" Chase exclaimed. "You don't know how excited he was to see that you were coming home."

"Chase."

"No, he had a couple of beers because he was nervous about you coming back the way you guys left things. He wasn't drunk. Why are you pushing somebody out of your life that really and truly cares about you?"

"Why are you?" Karen asks.

_**Bank**_

Donald is sitting at a banker's desk as she searches his account on the computer. "That doesn't look like a yes face." Donald comment.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Davenport. Your account history is working against your loan application."

Donald asks, "What does that mean?"

"Well, given your average monthly income and what your new mortgage payment would me, it's not a very reassuring picture."

"Well, look, business is good. I mean, you know, it's..."

"We're also concerned that withdrew virtually all of your savings. That's usually a sign of trouble."

"Look, my nephew nearly died in a car accident. I paid the medical bills. I just..." Donald trails off.

"I wish I could help you."

_**Karen's Café**_

Robbie comes in with Jenny. Bree walks over and greets him, "Hey." She looks down at Jenny with a smile and says, "Hey sweetie." She then starts talking to Robbie again. "I'm glad you brought Jenny."

"Yeah." He walks over to Karen. "Hey, Ms. Roe, can I talk to you for a second?"

"It's Karen, remember? What's up?"

"Well, look, I'm really sorry about this, but I don't think this is going to work out. Now my mom, she's got the flue, and you know she can't watch Jenny and I can't keep flaking out on you like this."

"It's okay, Robbie. I understand. Come here, I want to show you something." They go behind the counter to a crib. "This was Chase's, and I can't throw anything away so, when you need to, bring Jenny. It's fine."

Robbie asks, "You'd let me do that?"

"I wasn't much older than you when I had Chase. I know how hard it is to ask for help, but sometimes, it's okay to have someone give you a hand."

"I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you, and get to work."

_**Davenport House**_

Beck walks into the house late at night to see Deb sitting at the table. "You were out late."

"There was some stuff I had to take care of."

"Try to remember to call, honey." She says just before Beck puts a suitcase on the table. "What's that?"

"Look, mom, you and I both know that no matter what we do, no matter what happens, dad is not going to let up until he wins. It's just the way he's wired. So, I'm going to save us all one huge headache."

"Beck, what did he say to you?" Deb asked. "What did he do?"

"No, mom, apparently the question is what did you do?"

"If your father is threating you, you have to tell me the truth."

Beck asks, "Why am I the only one who has to tell the truth around here?"

"Beck, what did he say?"

"He told me that there are some things that you don't want people to know about you, and that he'd use it against you in court. Maybe you can tell me he's bluffing."

"I made some mistakes in the past."

"What kind of mistakes?"

"I've made the kind of mistakes that should stay in the past." Deb answered. "None of it had anything to do with you or how much I love you, Beck you have to trust me."

"I already tried it." Beck takes his suitcase off the table and walks to the door. "I'll be back later to get the rest of my stuff."

"Beck, please listen to me." Deb follows him to the door.

"You want to keep your secrets, Mom? Fine, I'm gonna help you do that." They go outside and Douglas is sitting in the car. Beck gets in and they drive off.

_**Davenport Body Shop**_

Karen walks in and sees Donald. "Donald, you got a minute? I don't want to dance around this."

He looks up at her and asks, "Dance around what?"

"Us and where we're at now. I left you with the most important thing in my life and you let me down at the time when I really thought we had something."

"We do. Those 6 weeks were amazing to me; for once, I felt like I was in Chase's life in a real way. I mean you have to know how much that meant to me."

"I don't doubt that, but..."

Donald interrupts her, "I know. It doesn't change what happened, right? I wasn't drunk, Karen."

"I know that, but that's not what this is about."

"Well, I want you to know, one of these days, you're going to look at me and you're going to see the person you used to see."

"Where does that leave us now?" Karen asks.

"I guess it doesn't."

_**Chase's House**_

Cat knocks on his back door and Chase opens the door. Breaking the silence, she asks, "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess, and not so okay." Chase responded.

"Me too..." They walk outside and sit on the porch. "Chase."

"Cat."

Cat started to give this whole speech, "When I saw you lying there in the hospital right after the accident, all I could think about was how my mom wasn't as lucky as you. And then I remembered, after she died, it was Jade who was there for me. We were just little kids and she would come over every single day to make sure I was okay. She's been my best friend ever since."

"Well, life's short, Cat." Chase states.

"It's too short to live it as a bad person." Cat states. "I can't betray her, Chase."

"You mean even more than we already have." Cat gets up to leave. "Cat, I'm sorry."

"Me too, but it's better this way, right?" She asked.

"Yeah..." She walks away, starting to cry."

_**Karen's Café**_

Beck comes in after they're closed to see Bree. "Hey." She greets him.

He points out, "Hey, you're still here."

"How are you? I'm always here. Are you okay?" Bree asked him, noticing his kind of sad expression.

He responds, "Whatever I said last time you asked me that question probably still applies."

"Want to get some coffee?" She asked. "There's some left if you want to talk about it."

"Actually, I'm tired of talking about it."

"Oh, okay. Well, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

"Well, I was thinking about what you said, about living in the moment. Well, I realized; that if I'm going to live in the moment, then I just want to live in it with you." He kisses her. "So were serious, about doing something for me?"

"Well, that depends. What is it?" She notices him eye the piano. "Beck, no."

"Here's your chance. Come on. You said you do anything to help me and this would really help me take my mind off things."

"You asked for it."

"Yeah I did." He sits in a chair close to the piano as she sits down and plays Elsewhere by Sarah McLachlan.

"I love the time and in between." Bree starts to sing like an angel. "...the calm inside me in the space where I can breathe. I believe there is a distance I have wandered to touch upon the years of reaching out and reaching in, holding out, holding in. I believe this is heaven to no one else but me and I'll defend it long as I can be. Left here to linger in silence; if I choose to, would you try to understand? Oh the quiet child awaits the day when she can break free, the mold that clings like desperation. Mother, don't you see I've got to live my life the way I feel is right for me. Say it's not right for you, but it's right for me. I believe. This is heaven to no one else but me, and I'll defend it as long as I can be left here to linger in silence. If I choose to..."

_**Beach House**_

Beck and Douglas are moving into the beach house.

_**Davenport Body Shop**_

Donald is putting his business up for sale.

_**Cat's Room**_

Cat's drawing on the bed when Jade comes in. "Hey." Jade doesn't sound like her usual okay self; she sounds mad and a little heartbroken.

Cat states, "You're out late."

"It's a lucky thing; you finding Chase like that. If you didn't come along, who knows what might have happened."

"Everything turned out okay."

"No. Not really." Jade responded and it's obvious she's about to cry a little. "I don't know what hurts worse; you and Chase sneaking around behind my back or you lying about it to my face!"

"Jade."

"No." She says bluntly. She points to the web cam, "I went into his room to check on him and his computer was on. I know you two were together. He meant everything to me, Cat. And I was ready to try and be his friend if that's what he needed. And now I don't really care if I see either one of you again." She walks out and Cat looks at the webcam, knowing Chase is watching her on his screen.

**Next Chapter: The First Cut is the Deepest: Beck must choose which parent to live with after Douglas and Deb's divorce. **


	16. The First Cut is the Deepest

Chapter 16 - The First Cut is the Deepest

**Synopsis: Beck must choose which parent to live with after Douglas and Deb's divorce. Hilda Hook is actually Sheryl Crow. **

Cat is walking and sees Jade approaching her. She calls, "Jade." Jade just looks at her and walks past. Soon, she hears Robbie call her and start to walk with her.

"Cat." He says.

"Hey." She greets.

"What's the latest?"

"Boy dates girl, girl doesn't know what she wants, boy starts dating girl's best friend, girl ruins everything."

"Dark, anything I can do?" He asks.

"No, the story pretty much ends there." She glances at him. "You look like hell."

"Thanks. I've only been working on about two hours of sleeps. I don't know what is was, but Jenny just would not stop crying last night."

"Did you try the key thing?"

"Yeah, yeah I tried that, but as soon as I'd stop, she'd start up again."

"Try a shot of whisky?" She asked. "Always works for me." Cat and Robbie share a laugh.

"Hey, hey listen. My cousin's getting married downtown this weekend. Is there any chance that you could watch Jenny for a few hours? You'd really be helping me out."

Cat asks, "What's the pay?"

"It pays an entire night away from all this drama that you got going on."

"Okay. You got yourself a sitter."

"Yeah?" Cat nods. "Thank you."

_**Beach House**_

Standing in the kitchen with Beck sitting at the table, Douglas asked, "So what's your mother got planned for you two this weekend?"

"As little as possible I hope."

"Sit." Douglas demands. "Eat."

"Dad, I can't. I gotta go. I haven't made it to school on time once since I moved out here."

"Well, you will now." He holds up car keys and tosses them to Beck. Soon, they are in their driveway, standing in front of a new Mustang. "It's a five speed mustang, fully loaded. She's all yours." Beck puts his bag down and walks to the door as Douglas continues. ""I know this divorce has been hard on you, Beck. I just wanted to thank you for sticking by the old man. What's the matter? You're not supposed to look the gift horse in the mouth you know."

"It's not a gift, Dad." Beck responds. "This is a bribe."

"A bribe...? Wow, not exactly the thank you I was expeckting."

"Okay, thanks for the car, Dad. Now I can get away from you whenever I want." He gets in and speeds away.

_**[Outside School]**_

"Hey." Bree catches up with Cat. "Chase told me about Jade. I was afraid something like this might happen."

"Ten points for Bree." Cat comments.

Bree asks, "How's she doing?"

"Who knows? I don't think she'll ever speak to me again. I know I wouldn't." She answers. Beck drives around the corner honking. The girls see the Douglas Davenport Motors license plate and try to see whose driving. Beck gets out.

"What'd you do, knock over your dad's dealership?" Cat asked. Beck gives her a sarcastic smile. "Okay, none of my business. I'll see ya." Cat walks away.

"Okay. What is this?" Bree stands next to him.

"Dad gave it to me; his way of showing me who's in control."

"EW, give it back."

"No. If I'm going to live like this, I'm going to take everything I can get." Beck responds.

"Okay."

"So, what'd you do last night?"

"I was up all night bidding on Ebay for those Hilda Hook tickets."

Beck is suddenly reminded of it, "

"Oh yeah, the show's tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Is there any luck?" Beck asked.

"No, but there's three more auctions tonight."

"I got DSL. Do you want to come over?" Beck asked.

"Oh yeah!" Bree exclaims.

_**[Weight Room]**_

Chase is lifting with his good arm. Andre comes in. Leaning on the door frame, Andre asks, "You sure you should be pushing yourself so hard, man? I thought you were supposed to be at physical therapy."

"Look, all they let me do is stretch right now. You know, I figured, I get back in here, I build up some muscle, and be back in shape twice as fast."

Andre says, "Or risk messing yourself up for good."

Chase puts the weights down and sits up, "Whose side are you on, anyway? Huh?"

"I'm on your side, man. Look, all I'm saying is, dog, what are you rushing back to?"

"Look, I worked hard to be a part of this team, Andre. We're udefeated. I'm not giving up my spot now."

"Hey, gimp." Tim runs in. "Coach wants to see you at practice, pronto."

"Why?" Chase asked.

"What am I, a psychic?" Tim asked, running out.

**[Gym Hall]**

Jade passes Chase in the hall, giving him a bad look. Apologizing, he stops her, saying, "Jade, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, sorry you got caught." Jade responded.

"We didn't mean to hurt you."

"You did not just say that to me."

"Look, we didn't plan any of this." Chase said. "It just happened."

"Go to hell." Jade snaps as she starts to walk away.

_**[Gym]**_

The boys are practicing. Tim suddenly misses a shot. "Tim," The coach calls out. "If you can't knock down that shot, I'll find somebody who can. Now, listen up, all of you. As long as we're a man short, you're gonna have to work double time to take up the slack. Alright, let's play."

The cheerleaders are practicing. Cat looks at Jade and gets a dirty look in return.

Chase walks in and walks over to coach, "You wanted to see me, Coach."

"Yeah, how's that shoulder healing up?"

"I'm working on it." Chase informed. "It should be fine."

Coach demands, "Quit working on it."

"Coach, I know what I'm doing."

"So do I; you're pushing yourself too hard. From now on, I want you on the court side and out of the weight room."

"I'm useless here. What's the point?" He asks.

"The point is I'm still your coach and I'm going to need you at the playoffs. Lay of the weights." He shouts to the team, "Let's go! Let's get moving!"

Chase walks past him and towards the door. Douglas is coming into the gym as Chase is leaving. Douglas strikes up a conversation, "I didn't expect to see you back in the gym so soon."

Chase turns around and comments, "I'll bet."

"Here you go." Douglas holds the door open.

"No. I can get my own door."

"Fine, you're welcome."

"I'm welcome?" Chase asks.

"Yeah, for the whole rescue thing." Douglas answers. "Don't sweat it."

"If you think I owe you a thank you, you gotta be kidding me."

"Oh, what did I do now?" Douglas asked. "Did I save your life wrong."

"What you did doesn't change who you are; it doesn't make you a good guy." Chase states defiantly.

"You're right. I pulled you from that car so I could make your life a living hell. It was all a big plan so you could live to watch my son take his team to the state championships." Douglas responded sarcastically. "Is that it? Is that what you want to hear?" He turns away to see Beck make a layup. "Nice shot, Beck. That a boy."

Chase storms out of the gym with everyone watching. Cat looks back at Jade and gets another bad look. "Alright, let's get back to business. Let's go."

_**[Outside the Gym]**_

After practice, Douglas calls Beck, who is walking outside.

"For once, I'mwith Chase, Dad." Beck says. "I've got nothing to say to you."

"You forgot your bag this morning." Douglas says, handing him an overnight bag. "You nearly drove it over in your brand new Mustang."

"I got clothes at home."

"What's a guy got to do around here to get a little gratitude?" Douglas asked.

"You don't want gratitude, Dad." Beck turns to him. "That car's an investment; you're just looking for a return."

"You don't want the car? Just say the word." He continues after Beck sighs. "Yeah, that's what I thought. What do I have to do to prove to you, you made the right choice when you picked me?"

"It wasn't a choice, Dad. It was a lack of one." Beck says, walking away.

_**[Outside School]**_

Jade is walking out of practice with Cat following. "Jade!" She shouts to her, getting her attention. As Jade turns to face her, she continues, "Sooner or later, you're going to have to talk to me."

"Why don't I just smile at you, you know, Cat style, pretend everything's okay and lie to your face." Jade remakrs.

"If I could go back to the way things were, then I would." Cat responded.

"Go back to when my best friend was cheating with my boyfriend and I was too stupid to realize it?"

Cat exclaims, "You're not stupid!"

"Did you sleep with him?"

"No! No, I didn't. Okay? We stopped before it got that far. God, Jade, I am sorry okay? We were going to to tell you and then the accident happened and you liked him so much and I just...

"You thought you'd spare me the heartache?"

"Yeah..."

"Yeah, well, that worked out real well, didn't it?"

"Jade!" Cat shouts just as Jade starts to walk away. She turns back to Cat with a glare.

Jade asks, "Are you in love with him?" Cat looks like she's thinking about it when Jade continues. "Hmmm...? You know what, I don't even care. He's all yours now; have a great life together."

_**Davenport Body Shop **_

Douglas pulls up outside and then walks up to Donald. Douglas starts to say, "Hey, I heard this place was for sale. Some financial crisis...? Don't tell me you're trying to make good on a certain nephew's medical expenses."

"I don't have time for your jabs today, Douglas." Donald says.

"I'll tell you what. I'll buy this place." Douglas offered.

"Yeah, right..." Donald scoffs.

"No, I'm serious. I'll pay you the market value for the property. You could pay off your debts with the profits. Meanwhile, you could reopen the service center and run the place at a fair salary."

"You want me to work for you?"

"Nope, no, no, you'll still be your own boss. I'll just be the guy behind the curtain, and once this place returns to profitability, I'll even let you buy it back."

"You must really think I'm an idiot."

"Don't be so paranoid, Donald. You did a good thing. I'd hate to see you go down for it."

"Since when...?"

Douglas responds, "Maybe I turned over a new leaf. Regardless, you should thing about this. Besides, I don't see anyone breaking down the door with other offers."

_**[Deb's House**_

Beck is getting out of the car when Deb walks out to him. "Hey." She greets him.

"Hey."

"Welcome home." Deb welcome. "I missed you."

"I've only been gone a week, Mom." Beck states.

"I'm sorry for the way things ended last time, Beck."

"Whatever." He walks into the house and she follows.

"Nice car. Did Douglas give it to you?"

"Yeah. So...?"

"I just never considered him as bribing you. You know, it's a little hard to compete on that level."

"I didn't want this, Mom." Beck says. "I gave you a chance to come clean with me, but you didn't want to do that."

"Beck, you have to believe me. I'm only trying to protect you.

"From what...?" Beck asked, turning to her. "What could be worse than this, Mom? Fine, you know what? You want to keep your secrets; I guess we all lose."

_**[Karen's Café]**_

Chase, Karen, and Bree are sitting having dinner. Karen abruptly says, "I can't remember the last time the three of us did this.

"Yes, it's just like old times, minus one spleen." Bree jokes. Chase doesn't look amused. "Oh, come on. It's a joke; tragedy plus time. Ha-ha...alright, it's too soon." Chase starts to reach for something with his right arm, but it hurts him.

"Do you ever do it at physical therapy?" Karen asks.

Chase states, "Physical Therapy's a wast of time."

"Alright, let's try something else. How was school?"

"Well, let's see; Jade hates me and Cat won't talk to me."

Bree remarks "See it's like old times."

"Oh, you know what else?" Chase asked. "I saw Douglas; he told me the reason he pulled me out of the wreckage, was just so that you know, he could watch me suffer."

"Chase, I'm sure that's not true."

"Mom, don't defend him."

"I'm not saying that Douglas hasn't done some terrible things, but he did save your life."

"Whatever that's worth." Chase comments bluntly.

"Oh, snap out of it already." Bree orders. "Come on."

"You know what? You're right. It's time, time for a change." He gets up.

Karen asks sternly, "Where are you going?"

"Out!" Chase throws the door open and walks outside.

"Chase!" Bree shouts.

"Don't wait up." Chase orders.

_**[Bar]**_

Chase walks up to the counter at a bar. He orders, "Give me a beer."

"Can I see your ID?" The bartender asked. Chase hadns him the fake ID Jade made him. "Bottle or draft...?"

"Draft's fine." He takes off his splint. "What do I owe you?"

"She got it." The bartender points over a few feet beside him. Chase looks over to a girl at the end of the bar and walks over to her.

"Nice eye contact." She comments. "You got a name?"

"I'm Chase."

"You mean your name is Chase."

"Yeah, that's hwat I said."

"No, you said you are Chase, like you're the only one out there. I've got news for you; it ain't about you and it ain't about me."

"Okay. Thanks for the beer." He starts to walk away, but the girl suddenly asks him something.

"Do you believe in magic, Chase?"

"No, not really." He turns back to her.

"That's a shame. Sit down. Let me show you a trick. I'll bet you, I can get this drink back in this glass without touching the plate." She pours her drink on a plate and puts the line in the middle and sticks a match and it.

"What's the bet?" Chase asks.

"It's to be decided." She lights the match and puts the glass over it, the drink is sucked into it. "See, magic."

"Not bad." Chase comments.

"Yeah, I'm full of tricks."

"Really...?" Chase asks. "What's your name?"

"Buy me a drink and maybe I'll tell you."

_**[Cat's Room]**_

She's drawing a picture of Chase, Jade, and she shooting guns at the heart with a 3 in it. She unhooks her web came. "Chase's Cell" calls her phone. She picks it up and asks, "You okay?"

But Karen is the one who answers, "Oh, um, actually it's Karen, Chase's mom."

"Oh, hi."

"I'm trying to track Chase down." Karen says. "Obviously he's not answering his cell phone and I tried the number he had for Jade, but she's not ansering either. Do you think maybe they're together?"

"I don't really know."

"I don't mean to sound like a dramatic mother, but he did just get out of the hospital." Karen says.

"No, yeah, um, I'll talk to her and see if she knows where he is."

"Thank you, Cat."

"Bye." Cat puts down the phone and turns her light off before leaving, headed to Jade's house.

_**[Jade's Room]**_

Jade is eating Chinese food on her bed watching TV. She's watching a woman on TV crying. "Oh, God, pull it together." She changes the channel to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. "Better." Her head turns to the door when Cat knocs on her door.

"Hey." Cat greets.

Bluntly, Jade asks, "What are you doing here."

"You're not answering your phone."

"And apparently you're not getting the message that I don't want to talk to you. I can't believe you actually came here."

"Chase's mom called." Cat informed. "She cant find him."

Jade responds, "It's not my problem."

"Okay, fine, but if you can figure out where he might be...at least call his mom." Cat starts to walk out. "See ya."

"Wait." Jade calls her back.

_**[Bar]**_

Chase and the girl are still sitting at the bar. After taking a swig of her drink, she asks, "So. What's your girlfriend's name? You got one right?"

"No. Not anymore, I had to."

"Wow, you ever. What are they like?"

"One's all about the fun and the other, I kind of had this huge emotional connection to, but I screwed both of those up."

"So, you got a broken heart. What? You're in here pouting, boohoo. You know what the easter bunny and true love have in common? It doesn't matter, because they don't exist."

"Sounds like you've been there." Chase says.

"We all have our tangles." The girl states. "So, you want to get out here?"

Chase responds, "I barely even know you."

"That's kind of the point. Come on, live a little..." She pauses, trying to think of his name.

"Chase." He finishes.

"Chase. I'm Nikki. Let's go."

_**[Davenport Body Shop]**_

"Yeah, yeah, I have a copy right here." Donald speaks on the phone. "Okay, perfect, I'll send it off to you. Yeah, yeah, goodbye." He ends the call just as Karen walks in. "Hey."

"Sorry to drop in on you like this. Has Chase been by tonight?" Karen asked.

"Why, is everything okay?"

"I'm sure it's fine. He might even be home right now. What's with the "for sale" sign out front?"

"Oh I just, you know, ran into a small skid there for a little while but eveyrything's okay now; selling was just a last resort."

"Okay, that's it. I'm just going to take a loan against the café and write you a check."

"Look, we already talked about it." Donald answered. "I won't cash your check."

"Donald, this is your livelihood. I'm not going to let you lose your business on account of my son's expenses."

"Those are expenses he never would have had if it weren't for me. And I'm not closing the shop, I'm just restructuring a little bit."

Karen asks, "What does that mean?"

"It means I needed a financial backer and I found one."

"What like a loan shark?"

"No, it's legit; closing the deal tomorrow."

"Promise me your not about to do something stupid."

"I promise."

_**[Bar]**_

"What are we doing here?" Cat asks, walking in with Jade.

"Chase and I had our first date here." Jade stated.

"So, what, you think he came here looking for you?" She asks, following her to the counter.

"No, I think he came here because he knows they'll take the fake ID I got him."

The bartender walks over and asks, "What are you having ladies?"

"Actually, we're trying to track somebody down. He's short, has short brown hair, kind of a loner." Cat describes.

Jade adds negatively, "He also cheats on his girlfriend with skinny redhead bitches." Cat glares at her.

"Nice." The bartender responds.

"He was wearing this on his shoulder." Jade picks up the splint he had left on the counter.

"Right, you just missed him. But he wasn't a loner when he left if you know what I mean."

"Hmm." Jade replies. "You know, I'm gonna have a beer."

"Make it two." Cat says.

"You got it."

_**[The Mall]**_

Chase and Nikki walk into a play-store. Chase looks around, saying, "Okay, tell me you have that key because you work here."

"No." Nikki responds. "I said I used to work here. Now I just play here." She turns on a carousel. "Come on."

"You said you work here. What if you get busted?" Chase asked.

""What if the ground opens up and swallows us? What if Mars attacks? You can't worry about all the "what if's" in life. So, relaz and enjoy the ride." She notices his shoulder. "What happened to your shoulder?"

"I had a car accident."

"Can I touch it?" Chase takes his sweater off his arm. Nikki starts kissing his arm and hand. "You know they say that you're never more alive than the moment before you die? Was it a rush?"

"I don't remember." He responds as she kisses his neck.

"You have to pay attention to the important moments, Chase." She takes off her shirt. "Sometimes, they only come around once. "She kisses him and sits on the bench. They start making out while she takes off her bra.

_**[Karen's Café]**_

Later, Chase and Nikki are eating alone. Nikki suddenly asks, "So, is this your after school job, high school boy? You are in high school right?"

"Wel..."

"It's okay. I like them young." She grabs food off his plate.

"Are you serious?" Chase asked. "You just had a whole banana split."

"What are you, the food police?"

"I'm just saying that it's not right."

"See, that's your problem. Everything for you breaks down to right and wrong. You ever thing that maybe it's all gray?"

"Not really. There's right and there's wrong." Chase says. "There's good and bad.

"Okay, give me something that's bad and I'll tell you how it might be good."

"Okay, a busload of kids crashes."

"The kids go to heaven and there's less pollution from the bus."

"Okay, alright, alright. What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you?" He asks.

"Forget it. I'm not the one in need of the attitude adjustment."

"I'll be the judge of that. Come on. Tell me your darkest secret." Chase demands.

"You have any tobacco in this place?"

"Yeah, hold on." He goes to the back. "How about red peppers? Oh, never mind, got it." He comes back out and Nikki's gone. "Nikki, Nikki?"

_**[Bar]**_

Jade, drunk, starts to say, "You know, it's funny. I look around at all these great looking guys and all I want to do is smash their pretty little faces." Cat laughs, causing Jade to look at her. "Don't even ask what I'm thinking when I look at you. You know, with Chase, I can understand especially given what he's probably to tonight. He's a guy right? Guy's always screw you over. But you and I were best friends and I thought that was supposed to mean something."

"It does! God, Jade, you will never know how sorry I am for making you question that. There was never a point to this whole thing that you weren't my best friend."

"Really...?! Well, thank you for nothing."

"Okay, you know what?" Cat asked. "Hard to leave the glow of your love, but I gotta go. I'm babysitting for Robbie in the morning."

"Playing house with Robbie Shapiro; you don't waste any time do you?"

"It's a favor." Cat responds. "Jade, are we ever going to get past this?"

"I don't know, Cat. And right now, I really don't care." Cat leaves and some guy sits next to Jade. She laughs, "No."

_**[Chase's Room]**_

Chase is coming in late. His mom is at the door and turns on the light as he raises up his hands. "I know. I know, I'm late and you don't deserve that."

"You're damn right I don't."

"I'm sorry." Chase apologized.

"You know, you've been saying that a lot lately." Karen said, walking over as he sat on his bed. "What happened tonight, Chase?"

"It's just...I've been screwing up a lot, Mom. I thought I could join the team and deal with it all. You know, basketball and the rest of it. But ever since I left the river court, I've been a mess. I fought with you and Donald, and Bree. And I drove away two girls that I really cared about."

"Look, Chase. Being a teenager is hard; honestly, all of it's hard. But you have a lot of good things for you."

"I know I do, and you're one of them. I think part of being a man is owning up to your mistakes. So I promise you, I'm going to do better."

"Oh, I know you will. Well, for a plan B, that worked out pretty well." Karen gets up to leave.

Chase asks, "What was plan A?"

"I was going to kick you in the ass and ground you for life."

"Well I prefer plan B."

"Good night."

"Night."

_**[Beach House**_

Just as Douglas is sitting on the porch, Donald walks up and greets, "Hey."

"What'd you get lost?" Douglas asked.

"I took a little drive; I needed to clear my head."

"And...?"

"I'm here, aren't i?"

"I knew you'd do the right thing for yourself in the end." Dougals responded.

"Well, believe me. If I saw any other way out, I'd take it."

Douglas asked, "Why are you so quick to the think the worst of me, Donald?"

"Well, because I've known you my whole life, Douglas; feel free to prove me wrong."

"Well, my lawyers have looked over the contracts, everything's as we discussed. All it needs is your signature."

_**[Karen's Café - Morning]**_

Karnen walks up to Deb who is waiting tables. "Did I ever tell you what awonderful job you've done?" Karen asked.

"I think you've thanked me a million times.

"Actually, it's more than thanks. I've been thinking that we should partner up." Karen responded. "Business has never been better."

"Oh, I'm flattered, Karen, but I can't. In the past, when things got bad with Douglas, I would use work as an excuse to get away from him. Beck was always the one to suffer it. I don't want that to happen again. I just hope it's not to late. Douglas is already poisoning him against me."

"If Douglas is telling lies about you, just make sure Beck knows the facts."

"What if what Douglas' telling him isnt a lie?" Deb asked.

"Whatever it is, Beck doesn't know your side. You got to talk to him, Deb."

"Life is so unfair." Bree grumbles, coming in. They turn their heads to her.

Karen asks, "You didn't get the Hilda Hook tickets?"

"No, we got sniped."

"I'm sorry." Karen apologized.

"Bree, do you know where Beck is?" Deb asked.

"Um, I think he's still at your house." She answered.

"I'm gonna..." She trails off as she leaves. Bree turns to Karen with a question.

"How's Chase?"

"I think he's going to be fine." Karen responded.

_**[Chase's House]**_

"Hey, yo." Andre greets, walking in.

"Yo." Chase responds, looking up at him.

"What's up, dog? How's that shoulder feeling, man?" Andre asked. "Are you up for a game?"

"It's gonna be a while before I'm back on the court, Andre."

"Look, man, I brought you a little something." Andre pulls out a basketball. "It might help you get back a little quicker. Remember signing this in the 4th grade? Man, we promised each other those signatures wold be worth millions one day. Remember that?"

"Yeah..." Chase responds.

"It's your turn to hold on to it. Help keep you focused on that prize."

"Thanks, man."

"Do what you got to do. Just remember, you always got us. Alright...?" Andre asked.

"Alright..."

_**[Outside Robbie's House]**_

Cat walks up to his front porch and greets him, "Hey."

"Hey."

"Nice suit." Cat compliments. "What, they got you parking cars?""

"You're funny." He comments. Jenny starts to cry a little. "SH, it's okay, it's okay." Robbie soothes.

"Hey! Come here, hey Jenny. Hey, remember me?" She asks, cradling Jenny in her arms.

"So, I'm sorry you couldn't meet my parents, they took off for the wedding separately. My dad; he likes to get an early start." He explains as they both go in the house.

"Yeah, my dad's the total opposite. He's totally like three minutes before the flight kind of guy."

"Okay, so look. I wrote everything down." Robbie holds up a piece of paper. "When she eats, when she sleeps, what toys she likes, and I put all my numbers down; my cell and my pager. I've got my mom's, my dad's, my cousin whose getting married today, I put his number down. If you need anything at all, I'm just going to be less than an hour away so jjust call anybody..."

She interrupts him, "Robbie, we're going to be cool."

"Okay. I guess I'm a little nervous. I've never left her alone with anybody but my parents before."

Cat asks, "And you picked me?"

"Well, i..."

"I'm just kidding." Cat responds. "I'm kidding with you, its okay. Go, have fun at the wedding."

"Okay, okay, alright." He looks down at Jenny and coos, "I'll b back in a few hours, okay, Angel? You be good."

"Take your time."

"Alright, thanks Cat." He walks to the door.

"Bye." She waves as he walks out. She llooks down at Jenny, who's being cradled in her arms, "Hey."

_**[Whitey's Porch]**_

Chase walks up to the porch of whitey's house. Whitey sits in a chair and starts to say, "Well, if it isnt Mr. Davenport. What do I owe to this pleasure?"

"I came to apologize, Coach." Chase spoke.

"Sit." Whitey gestures to the seat next to him.

"I've been kind of screwing up." Chase says. "I shouldn't have walked out on practice the other day."

"You're right, but you've got a lot on your plate." Whitey says, sipping his cup of beverage.

"I've been thinking about my position on the team."

"That spot's yours." He says, looking back at Chase. "It'll be there when you're ready."

"Yeah, I know, but..."

Whitey cuts him off, "If we lose a game or two along the way, then, uh, so be it."

"I appreciate that." Chase pauses. "But we both know we need another shooter. If that means that you gotta fill my spot, then I'm asking you to give someone else a chance. Look, the guys are defeated. That's important to me. It's important to them."

"Apology accepted."

"Thanks, Coach." Chase grins. He gets up and walks away as Whitey pats him on the back.

"Take care of yourself."

_**[Beck's Room]**_

Beck is playing video games in his room. Remote controller in his hand, he controls the skier. Deb hesitantly walks in to Beck's room, ready to tell him the truth. "Beck..." He hears her call him and looks back at her. "Can we talk for a minute?"

He ignores her, turning back to the game. As she walks all the way in the room, she looks like she's going to cry at how he might react when she tells him a secret. "I don't want to keep secrets from you, Beck, so I'm telling you this because I love you and because I think you deserve the truth." She continues as she sits on his bed while he turns the game off and turns to face her. "A while ago, your father and I were having serious trouble...and I met someone else. I left your father to be with this man."

"When...?" Beck asked.

"It was a few years back. You were at basketball camp for the summer."

"When I came back, Dad told me you were on a business trip."

"Please understand; I was confused and I was selfish. As soon as I realized I might risk losing you forever, I called it off and came back." She starts to raise her voice when Beck gets up in disbelief and starts to gather his things. "Beck, I have never forgiven myself. You don't know how hard it's been to live with this guilt."

"Hard for you...?" He asked, pausing for a brief second. "That was a nightmare that summer, Mom. You know htat. And all those nights I called to tell you how he was, you didn't come home because you were with _some guy_. Don't you see what you did? You gave me to him, Mom. You knew exactly how he was, and you made me Dad's property."

"I..." Deb stammers. "I never thought..."

He cuts her off, "Everything he's turned me into, all of this...this is your fault."

"That's why I came home; for you."

"No, you didn't come home for me, Mom." Beck responded. "You came home because your fling ended." Beck continues to pack. "Just forget it. I don't want to be a part of this family anymore." He walks out and slams the front door behind him when he reaches it, leaving a crying Deb.

_**Karen's Café**_

"So, now I know." Beck spoke, sitting in front of Bree at the counter. "I don't ever remember feeling like this, Bree. I mean, yeah, with my dad, but..." He pauses and sighs, looking up at her. "She abandoned me."

"I'm sorry." Bree apologized, feeling sorry for her boyfriend.

Beck responded, rubbing his hand up and down the counter. "I can't go back there, and I can't live with my dad, either. I'm screwed."

Bree thinks for a little bit, "Maybe not. There might be an answer." She responded.

_**[Davenport Body Shop]**_

A man is standing on a latter, messing with the sign that now says "Douglas Davenport Service Annex" when Donald walks up. Curious, he asks, "What in the hell are you doing?"

The man turns to him and climbs down the ladder, "Oh, you must be Donald. My name's Matt Perry." He sticks a hand out for him to take, but Donald doesn't take it.

"Yeah...?"

"I guess I'm your new boss."

He mutters, "Like hell you are." He walks away and into the place to see Douglas sitting down, doing some paperwork on a little desk. "Hey!" He gets Douglas' attention. "Do you want to tell me what in the hell's going on here? Douglas Davenport Servis Anne; what, are you out of your mind?"

"Douglas Davenport is a brand name."

"There's some guy out there telling me that he's my boss."

Douglas responds, "Matt runs my service department; you technacially fall under his jurisdiction."

"Yeah, well, technically you can kiss my ass!"

"Come on. What did you expect, a hand out?" Douglas asked. "This was a legitimate business deal."

"Yeah, well, I want out." Donald starts to walk away.

"Things don't work that way, Donald." Douglas says, making him turn back around. "You walk away now; this shop is mine."

_**[Robbie's House]**_

Cat is standing over Jenny's, who is crying, crib. Cat walks away for a second and grabs her car keys. "Oh, no, no," She starts to jingle the keys over her. "Hey, hey, remember these?" Suddenly, Jenny stops crying. "Okay. You like these? Yeah...?" Jenny grabs them out of her hand and starts to put a key in her mouth. Cat stops her just in time. "Okay, no. You don't want to put those in your mouth. These are gross."

Jenny starts to cry again. "SH, no, oh, SHH, no..." The crying continues just as soon as Cat gets an idea, glancing down at the keys. Soon, a moble is over Jenny, spinning around slowly. They all have copies of Cat's keys hanging on it. Jenny reaches to touch one, making it jingle a little bit.

"Who are you gonna be, little girl?" Cat asks, rubbing Jenny's tummy as her other hand supperts her hand as she leans against the crib. The door opens and Cat looks up to see Robbie walking in.

"SHH, SHH," She puts her finger up to her mouth. Silently, Robbie walks over as Cat looks back down at her.

"Hey." He greets her with a whisper.

She whispers, "Hey."

Robbie laughs, moving the mobile a little bit. Cat says, "I got copies." She turns back to Robbie. "How was the wedding?"

"It was good. I mean, it was a wedding, you know." Cat nods. "My parents were having a good time," Robbie makes a drinking signal with his hand, not wanting Jenny to pick up what he really meant. "So they decided to stay down town."

"Alright, well, I'll clear out, and you can relax while it's still quiet."

Cat starts to walk away, but Robbie stops her, "Well, hey...I could order pizza and pop in a movie. It's the least I could do."

"Okay. No chick flicks."

Robbie chuckles, "No chick flicks."

Cat laughs.

_**[Beck's House]**_

The door opens and Beck walks into the living room with a paper in his hand. He walks over to Deb, her face tearstained as she sits on the couch. She suddenly sits up. He opens a folder and holds it out to her. Grabbing it, Deb asks, "What is this?"

"I'm petitioning for emancipation from you and Dad."

"What?"

"I talked to a lawyer." Beck says. "He says I have a case. I'll be living by myself. How does it feel to be abandoned, Mom...?" HE asks, walking out of the house.

_**[Jade's House]**_

There's a knock on the door and Jade opens it to see Chase standing on the porch. Chase starts to say, "I know you don't have any reason to listen to me."

"You're right; I don't." Jade starts to close the door.

"Jade," He stops the door from closing with his hand. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. I just want you to know how sorry I am for what I did."

"How sorr you are." Jade raises her voice a little. "Do you know that the entire time that we were dating, I actually felt inferior to you? What a joke. You are just like every other guy on the planet. You're a liar and a cheater."

Chase swallows, "You're right. I lied to you, and there's no excuse for that."

"Whatever." Jade turns away for a second. "Why don't you tell it to the girl you hooked up with last night." She throws his sling at him. "As for excuses, you don't owe me any. I'm not your girlfriend. And from here on out, I'm not even your friend." She slams the door.

_**[Karen's Café]**_

A woman with holly-jeans walks into the café where Bree and Beck are still hanging out while she's closing up. Bree turns to the door and stops talking for a second in shock. Beck turns to see who she's looking at. She gasps, seeing Hilda Hook at the door. "I was hoping to get a cup of coffee." Hilda says.

"Open, we are _so _open." She says, Beck chuckles glancing at her. Bree laughs, saying, "Cup - a cup - c-c-cup of coffee, yeah, we can do that for you, Hilda Hook. Um, wow...I'm a huge fan." Bree starts to ramble on. "You have no idea how much it killed me to miss your concert tonight. We waited online, then stupid eBay snipers..."

"Bree..." He interrupts her. She glances at him. "Let it go."

"Right..."

"Thanks." Hilda says. "How much do I owe you?"

Bree responds, "One song per cup." Soon, Beck and Bree are watching her sing "The First Cut is the Deepest" with her co-singer.

"I would have given you all of my heart. But there's someone who's torn it apart."

Bree whispers to Beck, "The sad thing is, nobody's gonna believe us when we tell them."

"I can solve that problem." Beck takes out his phone and gets up to stand behind Bree, putting her in the picture.

_**[Beach House]**_

Deb walks into the kitchen, where Dougals is brewing a cup of coffee. He watches as she hhands him a file. "What is it?" He asks. "What's the matter?"

"He's leaving us, Douglas. And I don't blame him." She says as he opens the folder to see the emancipation paper.

_**[Robbie's House]**_

Hours later, Cat has left and Robbie is picking up the plate with pizza crumbs on them. There's a knock on the door. He puts the plates down and opens it to see Nikki, the girl that hooked up with Chase the other day. "Hi Robbie."

"Nikki."

"So, how's my daughter?"

**Next Chapter: Spirit in the Night - The gang hits the road to Charlotte, N.C., for a basketball game and an annual cheerleading competition that squad leader Jade is determined to win. **


	17. Spirit in the Night

Chapter 17 - Spirit in the Night

_**Outside School**_

Jade and the girls are practicing their cheer. "Ready...?" They start to cheer. "You can't shoot. You can't score. You will beat us nevermore. Go, Dingos, Go."

Bree and Chase are walking near them. "Well I guess you should feel pretty lucky you get to hang out with me like this. Do you have any other wishes I can grant?" Bree asked him.

"Yeah."

"What?"

Chase asks, "Why don't you come to the tournament this weekend?"

"Ugh!" Bree groans. "Aright, yeah, you're on."

"Alright, thank you genie. Catch you later." He leaves just as soon as Beck comes up behind her.

"How's it going?" Beck asked.

"Well, in a startling new development, it looks like I'm going to be joining you at the classic." Bree responded.

"You and me in the same hotel...?" He asked. "This week end just got interesting."

"Down boy." Bree joked. "Plus, it's probably better if I don't leave you with all those cheerleaders anyway. So, how'd it go?"

Beck says, "I got the apartment."

"Ah, that's great!" Bree exclaimed.

"I drained my savings, paid first and last month's rent. It's mine on Sunday."

"So cool!" They laugh and walk off.

**[Cheer Practice]**

Jade is looking at each girl in the line, judging each and every one of them. "Theresa, you have terrible posture. Pinch that penny. Bevin, you need...a breath mint. Cat, that's a nice form and excellent betrayal of a best friend." She keeps walking past each girl. "Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! You guys, this weekend is  
"The Classic". It's our biggest cheer competition. Aren't you sick of Clair Young and Bear Creek Warriors taking home the trophy every year, because I am. We need to get it together it together here and I'm not just talking about our routine. I'm talking hair, nails...underarms, Theresa!"

"Jade, cheerleading is supposed to be fun." Bevin states.

"Yeah, well, winning's more fun. And if you don't like it, you can go cheer for the wrestling team. Take five."

Jade walks away to take a swig of her water bottle and Cat follows her.

"Okay, you know what?" Cat asked. "You hate me; I get it. Fine, just don't take it out on our squad."

"Everything is not about you, Cat. Did you ever think that maybe I'm being a psycho-horse-beast because I want us to do well this weekend? Those judges are not going to be as forgiving as I am."

"Funny, I didn't know you were forgiving at all." She remarks just before walking away. Leo walks past Jade, but she calls him over.

"Hey, Cleo! Come here."

"It's Leo." He corrects, walking over.

"I know." She responds. "You're going to be at the Classic this weekend, right?"

" ; never miss a game."

"How would you like to be my scout?" She asked. "Scope out the competition for me and I'll pay you 20 bucks."

"Spy on cheerleaders...?" Leo asked.

Jade nodded, "Mm-hm."

"I'll do it for free."

"Really? That's excellent." Just as soon as Leo leaves, she turns back to the squad. "Break's over girls."

"You said five minutes." A cheerleader argues.

"Yeah, well cry me a river. Let's go."

_**Whitey's Office**_

Chase walks by his door, but stops when he hears Whitey shout, "Chase!" He walks backwards to stand in the doorway. Whitey orders, "Come in here."

"What's up, Coach...?"

"How's that shoulder?" Whitey asked.

"Therapy's going kind of slow."

"Well, that's too bad. We could use you this weekend."

"Ah, come on, man. The greyhounds suck on D. We'll get you 500th win easy, Coach. I just wish I could do my part."

"Well, maybe you can. One of your teammates needs a little extra coaching."

"Okay. Sure, I'll help whoever." He responds just as Beck comes in behind him.

Beck asks, "You wanted to see me?"

"I did. With Chase on the injured list, you're going to see a lot more double teams. Now, Chase is damn good at creating space for open shots. I want you to work together."

"There's nothing he can teach me about my game or anything else." Beck says.

"He can teach you to listen when I tell you to do something." Whitey says. "I'd start now if I were you." The boys walk out.

_**Karen's Café**_

Deb is wiping down the counters. Karen walks in, realizing that she has been wiping the counters for the past hours. Karen comments, "You know, if those countertops get any cleaner, we're not going to need plates."

"Sorry. How terrible of a mother am I that my own son wants to divorce me?"

"Deb, you're not mommy dearest. Beck's hurt, but he'll forgive you. It's just going to take some time." She says as Donald walks in.

"Donald." Deb says, letting Karen knows he was behind her. Karen turns around to look at him.

"Hey. Karen. I just wanted to get a cup of coffee to go." He puts a dollar on the table and Karen looks at it.

"Oh sure," Deb responded. "We haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, I've been pretty busy at work."

"Well, that's good."

"Yeah, okay." Deb hands Donald the coffee. "See you, Deb. Karen."

"Donald." Karen stops him. "Why don't you come by some night for dinner, like we used to."

"How about tomorrow night?"

"Okay."

"Okay." He leaves and Deb looks at Karen. Karen says, "Baby steps." A woman walks in.

"Karen. Deb. So glad I found two booster moms in one place." The woman walks over and starts to explain what she needs. "Look, Judy Johnson backed out of the Classic at the last minute and I need a fill in chaperone."

Deb responds, "I have a meeting with my attorney. I can't cancel."

"I heard about you and Douglas. How awful." She turns to Karen. "So, Karen, how was Italy? You know we really missed you at the silent auction. And the pancake breakfast, and the bake sale, and..."

Karen interrupts her, "Okay, when does the bus leave?"

_**Davenport Body Shop**_

"Hey, Matt, what are you doing?" Donald asks, walking into the building in a suit. Matt turns to him.

He answers, "I'm making room for the new equipment."

"Hey, don't let this guy get away with half-days because he's related to the boss." Douglas says. He is carrying a life size cardboard cut-out of himself.

Donald comments, "Oh, my God, I thought one of you was bad enough."

"That jumpsuit looks good on you, Donald." Douglas compliments. "How's your day going?"

"Well, let's see. You changed my sign, you make me wear this monkey suit, and you're replacing all my equipment. What's next? Are you going to start fixing my bicycles too?" Donald asks.

"If it would turn a profit; Remember, Douglas Davenport is a name people trust."

Donald comments, "Yeah, maybe people don't know him."

"Listen," Douglas orders. "This equipment in this place is obsolete anyway. I feel like I'm stuck in 1982 in here."

"The machines work fine." Donald states.

"Not as good as the new ones. Now, I told you I was going to help you with your shop. This is part of the agreement. You got to start thinking like a business man, bro."

"I think you do enough for the both of us, _bro_." Donald emphasizes.

_**River Court**_

Beck shouts and misses. Chase gets the rebound. Beck breaks the silence after a couple of minutes, "If Whitey wants you to feel like you're part of the team, Fine. I just, I don't understand why I have to babysit you."

"He just wants to make sure you're going to be able to get open."

"I don't have a problem with getting open." Beck says.

"Well, you will with me out of the lineup. Okay? The Fade-away is a great shot for creating space. You want to work on it or what?" Chase asked.

"I don't need to work on it."

"Okay, show me." Chase demands. "Come on." He blocks Beck as he shoots and misses again. "Try it again."

"I'll tell you what. I'll hit your fade-away when you can do this." Beck dunks the ball right handed. "I thought so."

"Beck, the point is you're not going to be able to do that."

Beck scoffs and asks, "Excuse me."

"You're not going to be able to get to the rack like that." Chase answered. "You'll be double teamed."

"You know what? I don't need your coaching." He starts to leave. "Just watch me get to the rack this weekend."

**[Outside School]**

The bus is there and Chase and his mom are at the car, getting their bags. Chase had just finished telling her about her chaperoning. "Well, I just don't want you to think I'm retailing you like some paranoid mother."

"But you are." Chase responded.

"Oh."

"It's cool." They notice Jade walk pass them with a glare directed at Chase.

"Silent treatment." Karen says.

Chase comments, "Like a mime."

A couple of cars down, Cat and her dad are getting out of their car. "Okay," Cat starts. "With the way you drive this thing, we could have gotten there in forty-five minutes and not had to deal with this whole bus mess."

"Yeah, but I've got to embarrass you as much as possible in front of your friends too make up for lost time." Larry responds. "Which one are you dating again?"

"Try no one." She remarks. She keeps walking and Larry stops to talk to Whitey.

"Larry Valentine, meet Karen Roe." Whitey introduces Karen to Larry.

Karen greets, "Hi."

"You two are my chaperones." Whitey continues. "A lot of these kids think that the Classics is an excuse to party all weekend. It's your job to see that that doesn't happen." Whitey walks on and Karen and Larry start to have a conversation.

"Oh, we don't have a prayer." Karen says. "I used to be one of these kids."

"You...? I've got a beer bong in my overnight bag."

_**[At the Bus]**_

Whitey throws a pom-pom down and is yelling at Jade, "I don't care how important this tournament is, people trump pom-poms. We can't fit all that crap on the bus."

"Fine, then you be responsible for ten very pissed of cheerleaders." Jade remarked. To save everyone from all the shouting, Beck walked over.

Beck offers, "Coach, if we're short on room, I can drive."

"No, no, no, forget it."

"Why not?" Beck asked. "I can fit all that crap in my trunk."

"Alright, but you stay right behind the bus." Coach walks away. Before getting on the bus, Jade thanks him.

"Come on, Bree." Beck walks over to her.

She responds, "Oh, uh, Chase is saving me a seat."

"What, are you in third grade? Come on. We'll ride in style." He walks away and Bree stops by Chase's window.

"Hey, um, I'm going to ride with Beck." She informs him. "Is that cool?"

"Yeah, it's no problem." He looks a little upset as she walks away.

_**[Hotel]**_

Later, everyone is in the hall, getting their rooms. "Listen up." Whitey calls. "We've got a team meeting in the conference room right after dinner. Lights are out at nine o'clock." Whitey walks by, handing Chase a paper. "Consider your room assignments final." Chase and Beck are left looking into the same room.

"You've got to be kidding me." Chase sneers.

Whitey laughs, "Alphabetical order. Davenport. Davenport. It's unalterable."

"You should have changed your name." Beck said, walking away to the room, Chase following shortly after.

_**[Beck and Chase's Hotel Room]**_

Chase is sitting on the bed, exercising his shoulder and listening to music. Beck turns on the TV and shuts off the music. Chase, bluntly, says, "I was listening to that."

"You're not anymore. I'm watching TV." Beck replies. Chase stands up and turns off the TV.

"Not anymore."

_**[Cat and Jade's Room]**_

"So, which bed do you want, the window or the door?" Cat asks walking in with Jade as an awkward silence lingers between the two.

"Whatever."

"Jade, can we just make the best of this."

"Fine, but I'm not doing it for you; I'm doing it for the squad. Call it a cheer truce." Jade responds. Cat throws her stuff on the bed and opens the connecting door just as Robbie opens the other one. They all look at each other."

"Bam Chicka Da Na," Robbie remarks teasingly. Cat laughs. "So, you ladies order room service?" Jade rolls her eyes and falls onto the bed. Cat laughs and pushes them back into Robbie's room, closing the door behind her.

"God...it's good to have an escape route in case she tries to smoother me with her pillow." Cat remarked. "How are you doing?"

"I have a Jenny withdrawal."

"Yeah, no, but you need a weekend away just to relax and have a good time. It doesn't happen too often."

"That's true, but there have been some new developments.

"Oh really, what are they?" Before Robbie can even respond, Jade knocks on the door.

"Cat, it's an emergency. Get in here." Jade ordered from the other side of the closed door.

"Ugh." Cat groans. "Sorry. Cheer Nazi calls. I'll see ya." They slap hands on her way out. Cat hears Robbie mutter "Right" just as she walks into the hotel room she shared with Jade. Cat sees the whole squad standing in front of the door to the hallway.

"Guess who's in the lobby. I'll tell you. Claire Young and her little hoe posy. We're going down there." Jade says.

"Okay. If an angry dance-off breaks out, I got your back." Cat remarks at her.

"Great. Just don't stick another knife in it." Jade tosses a stick deodorant at Theresa. "Teresa, I want you to hit those pits and cover that zit. You get points off for complexion. Let's go." They walk out and Theresa examines her zit on her head.

_**[Hotel Lobby]**_

Soon, the girls approach Claire and her squad. "Hi, Claire, we just wanted to wish you good luck this weekend." Jade stroked up a negative conversation with the opposing squad.

"Um, we've won four years in a row."

One of the girls in Claire's squad adds, "Including Claire for best choreography."

"Yeah, so maybe you should keep your luck for yourself. By the way, who are you again?" Clair asks.

Jade rolls her eyes. "You know who I am. Jade West; captain of the Mission Creek Dingos, we roomed together last summer at spirit camp."

"Right, right, don't the Dingos lose every year?" Claire asked. "See ya."

"Oh, it is so on." Jade muttered as Claire and her squad left.

_**[Hotel Hall]**_

Bree is walking alone and Beck pulls her into the room and kisses her. "You scared me." Bree declared when she pulled away.

"Well, we're not allowed to have girls in the room so I had to keep it covert." Beck responded. "Hang out for a little bit."

"Oh, I can't. I've got to meet Chase for pizza in the lobby. I think I'm already late."

"So, be later. We've got a whole hotel room to ourselves." They kiss again, but Chase walks in on them.

"Sorry," Chase apologized. "I thought we had plans."

"We do." Bree responded.

"Nah, just do your thing." Chase walks out.

"I'm sorry, Chase." She walks out after him. "Chase. Will you just wait?"

"Bree," He calls her. "It's cool. Okay? Go be with your boyfriend." He walks off, letting her go back inside.

_**[Karen's Hotel Room]**_

Karen is sitting on her bed, talking in on the phone. It stops ringing and Donald's voice comes up on the other line, _"Hello?" _

"Hey, Donald, it's me."

"_Oh, hey, Karen," _

"Look one of the booster moms trapped me into chaperoning the Classics, so now I'm in Charlotte. Um, can I get a rain check on dinner?"

"_Oh, sure, we're pretty backed up at the shop so I was going to have to cancel anyway." _

"Okay, well, I'll see you when I get back."

"_I hope so." _

"Bye."

_**[Hotel Lobby]**_

Jade and Cat are walking side by side, Jade suddenly brings up the opposing squad, "I cannot believe the nerve of that little third rate Britney, trying to pretend like she doesn't recognize me."

"Are you still obsessing over this?" Cat asks. "You made out with her boyfriend at camp."

"I didn't know they were dating, unlike some people." Jade declares. "And besides, he was a yell leader, he was gay anyway."

They approach the squad when they see Tim in front of them. They overhear, "Hey, ladies. We're sneaking out after curfew, spread the word okay?"

Jade grabs his ear and orders, "Tim, stay away from my squad, we need to be fresh for tomorrow."

"Okay." He walks away and Jade goes up to Theresa who is surrounded by the squad."

"Theresa, I thought I told you to lay off the chocolate." She sees that Theresa's face is covered in "zits". "It's a really good thing I have an acne medicine."

"Jade, this isn't acne." Cat declares.

"It's chicken pox." Theresa responds. "Karen called my parents; I'm out. Thank god." Theresa mutters, walking away.

"Okay, could this get any worse?"

"Jade, it's okay." Cat tries to convince her. "We'll rework the routine."

Jade objects, "It's perfectly crafted for _ten _girls."

"Okay, so we'll find a replacement."

"Great idea, genius, who are we gonna ask?"

_**[Hotel Room]**_

Cat had gone to Bree's room, only to ask her if she could be a replacement. Bree jumps up from the bed and exclaims, "No way!"

"Bree, come on. Do you remember when I made you those flyers for open mic night?" Cat asked her.

"That is weak." Bree declares. "You're a born artist. I'm a born klutz, okay? I almost drowned in the balls at chucky cheese."

"Okay, but if we don't find a replacement, we're going to have to forfeit."

"Don't you guys, like, lose every year since grade school anyway? What's the big deal?"

"It's important to Jade. Do you know how terrible it is to be disconnected from your best friend?" Bree looks like she understands that. "Look, I really hurt Jade. And I don't want her to be disappointed again."

_**[Davenport Body Shop]**_

"Hey, Matt, how's it going?" Douglas asks, walking in seeing him work.

"Good, we're just about to close up. We'll finish the rest tomorrow."

"Not tomorrow, tonight." Douglas responds. "We've got a whole new slate tomorrow. What's taking so long?"

"We're just getting to speed on the new equipment." They look at Donald, who is on the computer and looking at a manual.

"Uh-uh. I'm sure you are. Thanks." He walks over to Donald. "Hey, Donald, how's it going?"

"Great. I just finished my taxes and I'm about to download some tunes."

"You know the junior college offers manufacturers training. Might help you learn the system."

"It's not about the system, Douglas, it's about the mechanic. A car is still a car."

"Anyone who drops out, who takes high school shop knows more about these machines than you do. You should really think about enrolling."

Donald threatens, "You should really think about stepping three feet back."

"If you had gone to college in the first place, you might not have to get your hands dirty at all."

_**[Hotel Hall]**_

Karen and Larry are walking around doing room checks. "Well, I think that's everybody." Karen speaks.

"Yeah,"

"8:59," Karen speaks. "That's not bad."

"Yeah, except for that Tim kid peeing in the ice machine." Larry comments. "This was easy."

"It was too easy. Think we should check again at ten?"

"You want grab a cup of coffee in about a half hour?" Larry asks. "It sounds like it's gonna be a late night."

"Yeah, I'll meet you downstairs."

"Alright," They go separate ways and as soon as they are gone, all the kids stick their heads out of their rooms and sneak down the hall.

_**[Jade's Room]**_

She is eating ice cream out of the pint while sitting in bed. Someone knocks on the door and she calls out, "Just leave the cake and go." She looks up to see Karen walking in.

"Well, we're safe." Karen reports and sits on Cat's bed. "All the other girls have had chicken pox."

"Theresa always was a beat behind." Jade comments, putting the ice cream on the nightstand.

"How are you doing?" Karen asks.

"Pretty crappy; I put all my energy into this competition and it made me feel really good for a few days. It took my mind off everything, but now I'm just back to square one."

"You know, we haven't had a chance to talk since you and Chase broke up. I'm really sorry."

"It's his loss, right?"

"He probably knows that." Karen responds. "And I know it doesn't seem like it, but I bet you and Cat will get through this, too. And now, from a former Dingos cheer captain to another, I think you have taken these girls too far to give up."

"Our routine is for ten girls, Karen. Without Theresa, we're only nine, so unless I can pull a cheerleader out of my butt..." She gets cut off when Cat and Bree walk in.

"Hey." Cat greets. "Bree said she'd fill in for Theresa."

"I make no apologies for my lack of coordination." Bree announces. "It's genetic."

Jade responds, "It's impossible."

"Jade, you're a captain." Cat points out. "We can still do it. You just need to get off your butt and stop pouting."

"We'd have to practice all night." She looks at Karen. "And it's past curfew."

"If anyone asks," Karen gets up to leave. "I was never here."

"Okay. Okay." Jade says, standing up as Karen exists. "I'm going to get the rest of the girls. We're going to need coffee (black), sleep is our enemy." She points at Bree. "And we're going to need to do something about that hair." She walks out. Cat laughs and grabs Bree's head.

"Let's go." She walks out with Bree.

_**[Hotel Lobby]**_

Everyone is walking out. As he stands by Chase, Robbie comments, "So, I thought you were hanging out with Bree."

"Yeah, me too. She's probably hanging with Beck." Beck suddenly walks up behind them and to Tim.

"Or not," Robbie comments.

"We're good." Beck informs Tim. "Whitey's in for the night."

Tim turns to the girls, "So, you ladies finally escaped Psycho Jade, huh?"

Jade suddenly walks up behind him and says, "Psycho Jade told you to leave her squad alone." She pushes him out of the way. "Dingo's, we're back on."

"Come on, Jade." Tim mutters as she leads the girls back inside.

"Sad state of affairs when our own cheerleaders ditch us." Robbie comments.

"Not really, I know this club. They're a little loose on checking IDs. That's not the only thing that's loose."

Beck responds, "Tim, just say it's a strip club."

"How are we going to get in?" Robbie asks.

"Everybody chips in ten bucks and I grease the bouncer?"

"And after that, you can bribe him."

_**[Cheer Practice]**_

"5...6...7...8..." Jade instructs. They start doing the moves and Bree is struggling to get it. "No, no, no. Tutor girl, it's feet together, apart then clap."

"Okay, I'm really trying." Bree responds.

"Try harder cause we're on in 12 hours." Just as Jade finishes, Claire and her girls walk up behind them.

"Aw, cute routine girls," Clair coos. "It's too bad those moves are so '03. Where'd you find your choreographer anyway? Did you find her in the yellow pages, under "S" for sucks?"

"No, actually that's where I found your boyfriend." Jade comments as Cat walks over in case she needed to stop a catfight from breaking out.

"Oh, you know, if I were you, I'd get some beauty sleep. I think it's the only thing that's going to help."

Cat gets between then, threatening Claire, "If I were you, I'd step back from my friend." Jade looks at her.

"Whatever. Oh and remember, ladies, jazz fingers!" Jade and Cat roll their eyes as they walk away.

"I'll give her a jazz finger." Bree mutters. Cat and Jade looks surprised and laugh.

"Well, she's obviously cared because their routine probably sucks."

"Actually, it's good." Leo says, coming to the stage. "I've seen it."

"How good is their routine?"

"There's lots of spins, some tumbles."

"Okay, no, give me information I can use, Leo." Jade ordered. "What are the moves exactly?"

"First, they do this." He starts imitating their routine exactly. He does all the moves and jumps and the girls watch him. Jade looks nervous at how good the routine is. Cat looks shocked that he can do the routine so well. Bree is trying hard not to laugh and covers her face.

"That is good." Jade realizes. "Do you want to replace tutor girl?"

"No. Thanks. Oh, and by the way. Three other teams are using Junior-Senior." Just then, Jade gets really nervous.

"Okay." Leo starts to walk away and Bree stops him.

"Dude, what's up?" He and Bree slap hands.

"Thanks."

"It's time for plan B," Jade announces. "We're going to find Claire Young's room and pull a Tonya Harding. We're just going to hit her in the knee with a big stick."

"Okay, Jade," Cat starts. "You're a better choreographer than Claire has ever been. Okay? We still have time to win it, just teach us some new moves."

Jade asks, "Well, what about our song?"

"You handle the moves; let me take care of the song." She walks away and slaps Jade's butt on her way past.

_**[Strip Club]**_

"I got to hand it to you, Tim, for once." Beck says.

"Mm-hmm."

"Is that Vodka?" Chase asks as he sits at a table alone with Robbie who is drinking something.

"It's water." Robbie responds. The rest of the guys get a front row seat at the stage. "Although the last couple of days I've been tempted."

"Tough week?" Chase wondered.

"Yeah, Jenny's mom popped up unannounced."

"Wow. How did that go?" Chase asked.

"Oh, it's not good. But you know what; I don't really want to talk about her. I don't really get nights like this too often, so she's not going to ruin it. What's going on with you? Jade, Cat?"

"Nothing anymore," Chase responds.

"And then there's Beck and Bree."

"Bree could be with anybody and I'd be happy for her. I mean, even Tim," They look at Beck and Tim and Tim is doing something like a monkey impression. "But Beck...?"

"Chase, I mean Beck is not my favorite guy, but I don't know," Robbie starts to say. "If Bree sees something in him, there's probably something there. She's got pretty good taste in people, right?"

"_Welcome to the Peppermint Zebra." _The announcer speaks into the microphone.

Chase notices that the crowd is all women cheering, "Is something a little off about this crowd?"

The announcer exclaims, "It's ladies night!" Male strippers come on stage and all the guys try to look away."

"What?" Beck questions. A guy suddenly pulls off his pants in front of Tim.

"Oh!"

"Wow." Robbie groans.

Chase whimpers, "Oh God."

_**[Cheer Practice]**_

Cat is burning a CD on her laptop as the girls practice and Jade instructs, "5...6...7...8...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...1 and 2...3...4...5...6...7...8..." Jade starts to give the cheerleaders orders. "Bevin, I want you to go into a high kick. Tutor girl, I want you to do a diagonal."

"What's a diagonal?" Bree asks and Leo does one for her.

"Thank you." Jade tells him. Thank god Leo had stayed with them.

"Alright, alright, it's ripped and burned." Cat says, walking over with the CD. "It's a remix. Trust me; nobody else is going to have this." She hands it to Jade.

"This better be good." Jade responded.

"You're welcome."

"We get this right to the music; I'll spring for escorts, guys." She puts the CD in.

_**[Outside]**_

The guys are walking back to the hotel and Beck keeps going straight when the others turn. Chase notices and calls him, "Hey, hotel's this way."

"Yeah, I'm just gonna go check out the gym." Beck responds.

Chase responds, "Hey, do you mind if I come?"

"Uh, yeah, whatever,"

_**[Gym]**_

"I'm gonna wipe this place up tomorrow." Beck says, walking into the public gym with Chase. "My dad's not going to be here so I figured I'd go for season high just to piss him off."

"Where is he this weekend, anyway?" Chase asks.

"The lawyers told him to skip a game to show he's not controlled by basketball. So he bought a satellite dish to bring in the live feed."

"Man, I wish I was out there, the way I feel like I'll be back."

"There are always other sports. You don't need arms to suck at soccer. I busted my elbows once a couple of summers ago. I was playing again in like six weeks."

Chase questions, "What's the secret?"

"There is no secret. You just start shooting one day and deal with the pain. Somewhere along the line, it will get easier." Beck preaches.

"So, have you been working on your fade-away?"

"The fade-away is soft, man. Look, if the game is on the line and the _**rock**_ is in my hand, I'm going to the hole. Every time, that's my game." Beck walks away.

_**[Hotel Pool]**_

The squad and Leo are sitting in the hot tub when Bevin suddenly asks, "How'd you get him to open the hot tub?"

"I threatened him with scissors. I figured you guys could use it after reworking our routine tonight. It feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yep, this is great." Leo responds. Jade laughed. Cat walks in with Bree hiding behind her.

"Ta Da." Cat sings. She reveals Bree wearing the cheerleading uniform and she spins. The girls clap.

Jade comments, "Tutor girl, you look bitchin'."

"Yeah, I kind of do, don't I?" Bree asks, laughing.

"Now get your get your suit for hot tub therapy...both of you." She smiles at Cat. Beck comes in.

"Bree...?" He questions as Cat leaves them alone.

"I'm kind of filling in for Theresa." Bree informed.

"It works for me; I got a thing for cheerleaders."

"Oh yeah..?" They kiss. Tim grabs Beck and throws him into the pool with the rest of the team and squad following them. Bree and Cat are left laughing on the side while everyone is jumping around in the water. Chase comes up to Bree. "They needed an extra. What do you think?" She asks.

Chase responds, "I think you look kind of ridiculous."

"You do realize your former girlfriends are cheerleaders. Oh right, excuse me. I guess I'm not allowed to have any fun." Bree responded.

"That's not it."

"Yeah, that is it. I'm having a good time, I'm happy. I'd think that my friends would be happy for me too."

"Bree, get in!" Tim shouts, but Bree walks way. "Beck, stop it!" Beck pulls him under. Whitey walks up behind Chase and looks at all the kids in the pool who are looking back at him. Whitey looks very angry.

_**[Hotel Lobby]**_

"How in the hell am I going to win a ball game with a bunch of hung over idiots?" Whitey yells at Karen and Larry, walking back and forth in front of them. "I don't know why you got on the damn bus in the first place if you weren't going to take this seriously. You can call yourselves chaperones. It's pathetic. Ugh!" He leaves them and the two start laughing.

_**[Beck and Chase's Room]**_

Beck is sitting up in bed, playing a game boy while Chase is sleeping. The bell on the game wakes him up and he looks up at Beck. "Dude, you got to be kidding me. It's 4 a.m." Chase speaks signaling that he's awake.

"If I go to sleep now, I'll never wake up. I'll be a total waste for the game tomorrow." He shows him the game he's playing. "It's classic basketball. I'd give you next, but you'd probably hurt yourself again."

"What is Whitey doing?" Chase asked. "He put us together on the court and in this room."

Beck responds, "He's just bored and evil."

"You know, when I was younger, I always wanted a little brother. Then I found out about you. I got over that in a hurry."

"What have you been doing to Bree, man?" Beck asked. "You were kind of a jerk to her tonight."

"You know she used to be this totally original...Bree. Then you came along."

"And as far as I can tell, she's still the same person she's always been. The only difference is now she's with me. So, maybe the problem's not with her." Beck defends Bree. "Maybe the problem's with you." Chase turns back over to go to sleep.

_**[Cheer Competition - Morning]**_

The announcer speaks into the microphone, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Secret Sparkles Classic. First up, the Bear Creek warriors,"

The Warriors start their cheer, "1...2...3...4. Bear Creek, Warriors, champions to beat; let's hear it! We're better than the Dingos. You'll see." All the Dingos' watch them with bad looks on their faces. The guys are in the stands watching too. Jade looks nervous and angry as they finished and the crowd cheers.

"Four time champions, Bear Creek Warriors, led by Captain Claire Young." As the announcer finishes, the Dingos get up.

"Okay. I want you guys to think about Theresa." Jade started. "Think about her lying at home, itchy, gross and covered in calamine lotion. The last thing she sad to me was, "This Sucks". And this will suck unless we win." Cat and Bree look at each other as they all walk over to the mat.

"Next up at this year's Sparkle Classic by Secret, the Mission Creek Dingos."

Everyone huddles and puts their hands in before going on. They all run out, leaving Cat and Jade alone. "Cat, I just want to say thanks, for your help with Bree and the music."

"It's important to you, so it's important to me too. Come on." They go on to perform."

"Let's go!" Jade shouted.

They start to cheer, "The one and only, blue, black and white, the best of the best. That's right." The Kung Foo Fighting songs remix comes on. Leo is moving along with their moves in the audience. They finish and run off. Bree runs towards Beck right past Chase and jumps into his arms.

"That's great."

"Can you believe?" Bree asks excitedly.

"You did awesome!" Beck congratulated.

"Thank you."

Soon, the awards are being given out to the squads. "And second place this year goes to the New Hanover Wild Cats. And first place in this year's Sparkle Classic by Secret goes to...The Bear Creek Warriors. Five years in a row. Way to go!"

Jade mutters to Cat, "Can I borrow your car, hose, and your garage?"

"Jade, you did a great job. Okay? We all thought so." Cat tries to assure her.

"Not good enough."

"And our final award of the competition for the best original goes to Jade West, captain and choreographer of the Mission Creek Dingos."

"That's you!" Cat exclaims. Jade hugs her and gets her trophy.

"Congratulations." The announcer says as Jade runs over.

"Yeah, Jade," Cat cheers as Jade walks back over.

"And we want to thank all of this year's cheering teams on behalf of Secret and their entire sparkle collection. Thanks for making this year's classics a success and cheer on!"

_**[Bree's Hotel Room]**_

Chase knocks on the door and she answers it, but doesn't look too excited about seeing him. "Hey." Bree flatly greets.

"Hey. You were really amazing out there." Chase congratulates.

"Yeah? I thought maybe I looked ridiculous." Bree responded, walking away from the door.

"Look." Chase stepped in and closed the door. "So I was thinking. Things have been different since you started dating Beck."

"I don't spend any more time with him than you did with Jade."

"I know. I know and he's your boyfriend, of course you'll want to be with him. It's just, I guess I miss my friend."

"Chase, I miss you too. But have you thought about how hard this is on me juggling the two of you guys? Chase, you're really important to me. I care about you. But Beck is important to me too. And if you want to be a part of my life, eventually, sooner or later, you're gonna have to be a part of his too." Bree preached.

"You're right." Chase responded. She holds out her hands and he slaps them. "Alright, well the game starts in a minute. Want to sit together?"

"Hell yes!"

"Alright," She touches his shoulder as they stand up and he grabs it. She covers her mouth.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Bree apologized. "I am sorry."

"It's okay."

_**[The Game]**_

Leo speaks into the microphone towards the end of the game, "Fifteen seconds to go. The Mission Creek Dingos are down by one and could be on the brink of their first loss this season."

"Time, you're in bound to Beck up top." Whitey instructs as the team circles around him. "We're going spread offense. Beck you find your open shot. If you can't, we'll go with Jake. At least he's not hung over."

"Let's go fellas, come on. Dingos on three; 1...2...3...Dingos!"

"Get the Tupperware folks." Leo announces. "If the Dingos don't score, we'll have to save Coach Durham's 500th win cake for another night."

"Go Beck!" Bree cheered.

"Fifteen seconds left and the Dingos need a basket to win it. The inbound to Beck Davenport and he is immediately double teamed. He's gonna have to give it up. He does. He finds Tim Smith. There's Tim with the ball. The time is running down. Now back to Beck. Eight seconds now, now seven, Beck dribbles and tries to drive, but he can't get through the double team."

"Come on. Come on." Chase mutters.

Leo announces, "He's gonna have to do something. Three seconds, now two. Beck spins up top and puts up the fade-away. It's good!" The buzzer sounds and everyone cheers. "Unbelievable! In a season of impossible finishes, Beck Davenport nailed the fade-away jumper. The Dingos reign undefeated and Coach Durham's won 500 games."

"Hey." Bree puts her jaw on Chase's shoulder, looking him square in the eye. "Were you rooting for Beck?"

"I was rooting for the team." He responds.

"Whatever you say."

Beck points at Chase in the stands and they kind of smile at each other. Everyone starts hugging Whitey.

_**[Davenport Body Shop]**_

All the workers are playing basketball outside the shop. Donald makes a basket and Douglas comes out, grabbing the ball. Aiming it to the basket, Douglas says, "I make this shot; you get your asses back to work." He shoots and makes it. "Let's go." He starts to speak to Matt. "Hey. I expect this from Donald, but you're supposed to be me when I'm not here. Get back to work."

"Why don't you just lighten up, Douglas?" Donald asked. "We were taking a break."

"Well break is over, Axel Rose. You never had a strong work ethic. If you did, it would still be your name up on that sign."

"You know what? I'm done."

Douglas responds, "We close shop at six."

"No, I'm taking Beck's lead and getting the hell away from you."

"What is the matter with you?" Douglas wondered. "I do everything I can to help your business and all you do is given me attitude."

"And all you do is lorded over me. Well, thanks for the help, Douglas. But I don't want it anymore. You can take the shop. I quit." He throws the basketball at the cut out of Douglas and knocks it over.

DAN: What is the matter with you? I do everything I can to help you keep your business and all you do is given me attitude.

_**[At School]**_

The kids are unloading the bus. The cheerleaders are around Leo, thanking him. Jade runs over to Leo and holds up the trophy, "Hey, Leo. Part of this belongs to you, you know."

"Well, we could share it. We could trade off weeks?"

"Uh, let me think about it, no." They laugh.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Bree suddenly runs up to her, "Jade. Hey. You're uniform." She hands her back the uniform. "It didn't fit all that well anyways, so."

"You really saved us this weekend. Thanks, Bree." She walks away leaving Bree confused.

"Did she just call me Bree?"

_**[Chase's Car]**_

Chase is closing his trunk and Beck comes up to him. "You know, I would have hit that shot with or without you." Beck comments.

"Not if I was guarding you."

Beck challenged, "Get your butt back and we'll see."

"Alright,"

Soon, Bree stands next to Beck, muttering, "Hey guys. This is a first."

"Bree...!" Some guy behind Chase calls out to Bree. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hey."

"Who's that?" Beck asked.

"I have no idea."

"Well, I guess that's a first too." Chase responded. "Alright, I'll see you guys later."

"Okay." She gives him a hug. "Bye."

"Bye." He nods at Beck and leaves.

"Hear that?" Bree coos. "He said you guys."

"Easy, match maker. So, I'm headed back to the apartment. You sure you don't want to get that cheerleading uniform back?"

"Shut up!" Bree exclaimed.

_**[Cat and Chase]**_

Karen and Larry are putting things into her trunk. Feet away, Chase stands next to Cat, watching them. "Okay. Is my dad flirting with your mom? Could he be any more obvious?" Cat asked, watching Karen and Larry laughing together. "This is too weird."

"Yeah, weird," Jade sees them standing together and looks upset. Cat notices and walks over to her.

Cat asks, "Think Claire Young is still in shock?"

"Look, Cat, it was really fun to get caught up in the weekend and forget about all the crap between us."

"Yeah, it was."

"But it doesn't change what you did. Okay? We're not friends anymore; we're just on the same squad."

"Jade, you might not be my friend, but I'll still yours. And I'm going to prove it to you. I'll see ya." Cat walks away.

Everyone is walking away with their parents. Beck is looking around for his. He looks disappointed and gets into his car with Bree next to him.

_**[Karen's Café]**_

Larry and Karen are drinking coffee together and Donald comes in. Karen notices him, "Oh hey."

"Hey." Donald responds.

Karen apologizes, "I'm sorry that I missed our dinner."

"Oh, you must be Donald."

"Hi." Donald accepts Larry's handshake.

"This is Larry Valentine." Karen introduced. "He's Cat's dad. We chaperoned together this weekend."

"More like Whitey chaperoned us. She's trouble if you keep her up after midnight." They are laughing and Donald looks uncomfortable.

"So, how was your weekend? Did we miss anything in Mission Creek?" Karen asked.

"Not really."

Karen offered, "You want some coffee."

"You know, I just remembered, I have to, uh, pick up an oil filter so...it was nice to meet you Larry. See ya." Karen watches him leave.

_**[Outside School]**_

Whitey is looking at the sign that says "Congrats Coach Durham on your 500th Win!" He smiles and walks away.

_**[Davenport Body Shop]**_

Donald is putting his keys into the box and has a box full of stuff then leaves.

_**[Jade's Room]**_

She is standing in front of her dresser with her trophy in front of her. She takes down a picture of Chase, she and Cat. She rips Chase out of it, then rips off Cat, starting to cry.

_**[River Court]**_

Chase shoots a basket and makes it, but grabs his shoulder. "That's one." He grunts.

_**[Beck's Apartment]**_

Beck turns on the light and stands there, looking around at the empty room.

**Next Chapter - To Wish Impossible Things - Beck, Chase, and the rest of the Dingos basketball players are auctioned off to the highest bidder in the annual "Boy Toy" charity auction.**


	18. To Wish Impossible Things

Chapter 18 - To Wish Impossible Things

_**[School Gym]**_

"Come on," Whitey stands in front of crowd. The school was holding the yearly Annual Boy Toy Auction. "Let's get those bids up. It's the Annual Boy Toy auction. Alright, I've got $25, do I hear $40? Oh, come on people, this is for charity. $40...?"

"40 dollars," A woman bids.

"$40 coming up right there, anybody got a $50? How about a $50, $50...?"

"$50," A girl calls out.

"$50, and remember for the next five hours, until midnight tonight, these boys are at your call. How about 55 dollars?"

"55 dollars...!"

"$55 dollars going once, going twice, sold for $55. Pay your money and get your boy."

_**[Pick-up Table]**_

Jade is standing with the boy she bid on. "Look, I have credit cards okay? Gold, platinum for crap sake!"

"I'm sorry. Auction rules say cash only." The woman responds. "Okay?"

"Here's the thing. I'm kind of coming out of a dark place right now and I could really use the distraction. I need this boy and I need him tonight!" Jade exclaims.

"I understand, but by rule, I have to give him to the next highest bidder if she has the money to give." A girl sticks money in their faces and the woman takes it. Jade grabs the boy's name tag that is being handed over to the girl.

"Oh, no, no, no." Jade starts.

"Jade."

"Uh-uh."

"Jade." The woman repeats.

"No." Jade responded.

"Jade." The woman slaps her hand, making Jade let go of the name tag. She gives it to the girl. "Thank you."

The girl and the boy leave. Jade suddenly asks, "Okay that did not just happen because I had an entire evening planned, so what am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, there are four boys still up for auction and a cash machine right down the street."

"Okay." Jade leaves.

_**[At the Auction]**_

Bree meets up with Cat and all the cheerleaders. Cat is the first one to notice her, "Hey."

Bree asks, "See anything you like?"

"I'm seeing everything I like."

"Really...?"

"But I think I'm going to bid on Robbie."

"You guys are really hitting it off, huh?" Bree questions.

"We're just friends really. What about you? Are you ready to fight off these rabid skanks for Beck?"

"Actually, I think I'm going to bid on Chase."

Cat asks, "Really?"

"Yeah, I haven't gotten a chance to spend time with him much lately and I get Beck for free." Cat laughs and nudges her.

"Alright folks, here we go." Whitey announces.

"Who's up next?" They look at the program and groan. "Oh no."

"Tim." All the girls groan when Tim comes on stage, dancing and taking off his jacket. He swirls it around his head then shakes his butt in front of the girls. Cat and Bree cover their eyes. Deb and a woman are laughing.

"Do I hear $30?" Tim does some really bad dance moves and the girls are laughing at him. "How about $20...?"

"That boy is going to pull something." The woman standing next to Deb comments.

"Can I get a ten spot?" Whitey asks."

"I suppose I have some chores around the house." Deb mutters, taking some money out of her purse. "8 dollars...?"

"Sold!" Tim smiles at her and Cat and Bree laugh.

"Oh, Robbie's up next. How much money do you have?" Bree asked.

"I have eighty-seven dollars and fifty-three cents."

"Okay." Robbie comes out in the Dingos mascot outfit with his jersey over it. Everyone cheers and laughs. He takes off the head and gives it to Whitey.

"Twenty dollars...!" Cat shouts.

"I have a bid for 20 dollars, do I hear thirty dollars?"

"Thirty dollars," A voice calls out. Robbie starts taking off parts of the costume.

Bree shouts teasingly, "Take it off!"

"$40?"

"$40," The voice calls out again.

Cat shouts, "Fifty dollars!"

"Fifty dollars, going, going,"

"Seventy-five dollars," The voice calls out again.

"Seventy-five dollars,"

Bree tells her, "Bet it all."

"Eighty-seven and 53 cents...!" Cat shouted.

"Going once!"

"$100," The girls look around for the girl.

"One hundred dollars; going once...!"

Bree asks, "Who's bidding on Robbie?"

"Going twice, sold! For $100 American, the highest man of the night, good job Shapiro."

_**[Backstage]**_

After he's done being bidded, Robbie runs backstage. Chase walks up to him and remarks, "You dirty bird. Who bought you?"

"I don't know. But whoever it is will be fun. It's for charity right?" Robbie questioned.

"Yeah, man," Chase responded. He starts to run to the curtain, him being the next one.

"Go get them." Robbie says.

"_Okay, let's have our next boy." _

"Well, here goes." He steps out on stage, looking nervous.

"Yeah, I got you!" Bree shouts.

"Alright, let's start the bid at $20."

"$25," A girl shouts.

"$35," Another girl yells.

"$50," Another chic shrieks.

"$75," and the bids go on and on to 100 dollars, 101 dollars until Bree shouts a higher price, "$105, $110, oh what the hell, $115."

"Sold!" Whitey shouts.

"Café savings." Bree says. "There's no way he's worth it." Cat laughs as Chase leaves the stage.

"Alright, we're down to our last boy toy, so loosen up those purse strings, pucker up those lips, and remember, this is for a good cause." Beck comes on stage, wearing sunglasses and everyone cheers. "You're on, Beck." He tosses his glasses to Leo who is the DJ and walks downstage. He pulls off his pants and Bree looks surprised. "Okay, do I have a first bid?"

"$80," A girl calls out.

"Wow." Cat mutters. Beck takes off his shirt and his chest says "BOYTOY".

"85 dollars," Another girl calls out.

Cat sings, "It smells like sex in here."

"90 dollars," Another girl shouts.

Bree fights them off, "$91!"

"That's a creepy threesome." Cat remarked.

"Do I hear $92?"

"$92!" Another girl yells.

"How much money do you have?" Bree asks.

"Well, with the five you gave me, I have ninety-two dollars and fifty-three cents."

"Okay, bid it." Bree ordered.

"What?"

"You have to bid it; I want you to buy Beck."

"Why?"

"So I can be with Chase _and_ keep him away from them."

"Going twice!"

"Please, Cat, please!" Bree begged.

To help a friend, Cat shouts the price.

"$109 and 40," Bree looks angry and searches through her purse.

"Going once."

"Where's that emergency 20?" Bree mutters, searching quickly through her purse. "Come on. Where are you?'

"Going twice...!"

"Ah." She pulls out her money and gives it to Cat.

"Oh, $112.53...!" Cat shouts.

"Sold...!" Bree sighs of relief.

"Yes!" She hugs Cat. "Thank you."

"Wait, wait!" Jade comes running in with the money.

"I'm sorry; we're fresh out of flesh. I want to thank all for coming this evening supporting this good cause. Now all these young men belong to the highest bidders till that midnight kiss. Let's try to keep things legal this year."

"I'll give 5 dollars for the microphone boy!" A girl shouts when Leo climbs on stage to collect all the microphones.

"I'll go 10."

"Do I hear 20?" Whitey asks.

"I will!"

"$25."

"Oh, no, I've got $200!" Jade shouts, holding up the money.

"Sold...!" He laughs and pats Leo on the cheek. "All sales are final."

_**[Karen's Café]**_

Karen is cleaning when Larry comes in, "I didn't see you in detention." He remarks.

Karen offers, "Can I get you something to eat?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I could get you something to eat unless you've got plans after work."

"No."

"Great. We could go to my place." When Karen doesn't answer, he continues. "Karen, I'm not a serial killer. It's just a couple of new friends eating food."

"Sure. Okay." Karen responds.

"Good, then it's a date."

_**[Auction]**_

Jade is walking around with Leo, talking out loud to whoever they pass. "Okay, I've got $50 cash on the Leo-Boy for trade! Who wants him?" Leo looks at her confused. They pass and Deb is left standing in front of Tim.

"Well, Timmy, it looks like you're all mine tonight." Deb says. "How about you grab a change of clothes and I'll meet you at the house."

Tim questions, "Change of clothes?"

"Well, you'll probably want to take a shower after I get through with you. I plan on getting dirty." Tim takes it the wrong way, the sexual way. "I'll leave the door unlocked. Just come in and gets me." She walks away and he watches her leave.

Robbie is walking around looking for the girl who won him. Nikki comes up behind him, saying, "Well, well, Robbie. Once again, looks like I own you." Robbie starts walking outside and she's following. "Come on, Robbie, wait up."

"I'm not kidding, Nikki." Robbie says. "I'm not falling for your crap."

"At least talk to me?" He stops and faces her.

"About what?" He starts to argue. "Where you've been for the last 8 months or how my daughter doesn't have a mother?"

"I understand you're upset, but there are things you don't know. Please. Robbie come on. I don't want to mess with your head, but the least you can do is hear me out. After that, you can ditch me if you want."

"What like you did me?"

_**[Outside]**_

Leo is standing through the sunroof of a limo, talking to Jade who is by the car. "This thing is awesome!" Leo exclaims. "Where are we going first?"

"Here's the thing, Cleo." Jade starts.

He corrects her, "It's Leo."

"I know. And I know I owe you for the whole cheerleading competition, but I had this whole night kind of perfectly planned out and it's a waste of Brazilian wax." He looks upset when he sees where this is coming.

"Okay. That's cool. I can take off." He climbs out of the car. "At least let me give you some of your money back."

"Oh, no, no, no, I don't want that. Please."

"No, no I understand. I just thought the car was cool. Um, I'll see you later." He starts to walk away.

"Wait." Jade stops him, feeling bad. "Fine, I'll take you to one place."

"Really...?"

"What the hell. It's for charity, right? With the night I have planned, I might need you to carry me home anyway."

"Sweet." He gets back in the car and Jade gives the limo driver a look.

Somewhere else in the area, Bree walks up to Cat. "I'm so excited to have Chase all to myself for an evening. We have not had a night to just hang out in forever." Bree strikes up a conversation.

"Yeah, same goes for me and Beck." Beck walks up to them.

"I know you're still into me, but one-hundred-twelve dollars?" Beck teases. Bree laughs and hits him with the papers. "Hey you."

"Hey."

"How about you come see me around midnight?" Beck asks.

"Sounds good." They kiss. "Don't have fun."

"I won't." Cat jokingly looks hurt. "Alright, come on. Let's get this over with." He walks away.

"Funny; that's what he'd say before we used to have sex." Bree fake laughs and Cat walks away, jumping on Beck's back. Bree watches them, looking a little hurt.

_**[Beck's Apartment]**_

They come in and everything is covered with plastic and there is hardly any furniture. Cat looks around, asking, "So, you're planning to kill me?"

"The painters must have left it." Beck suggests. "So what do you think of the new place?"

"You really moved out, huh?"

"Yeah, the judge declared me emancipated."

"Good for you, Beck." Cat compliments.

"Come on. Check it out." They walk into the back bedroom.

"So what, you got your big cool apartment but you don't believe in furniture? Where are we going to eat?" Cat wondered.

"We got the bed." He sits down and pulls out food from the bag.

_**[Checkers Restaurant]**_

Robbie and Nikki are outside eating in a lingering awkward silence. Robbie is the one to break it, "You're still doing that whole desert before the meal thing, huh?"

"You used to think it was cute." She tries to feed him something but he doesn't take it."

"Yeah, that was before you abandoned my child."

"Okay, I guess we'll do this now." Nikki muttered. "I made a mistake. I didn't know what kind of mother I'd be. All my friends were going off to college, my parents...well you know how they felt. I just wasn't ready, Robbie. Is that hard to understand?"

"Yeah, Nikki, it is. She was a part of you; you held her in your arms. I spent every night asking myself how you could just leave her behind."

"I couldn't. I hated myself for leaving, that's why I came back. I want to be in her life, Robbie, and yours too. I missed you, you know? I wanted to call you a thousand times over the last 8 months."

"Yeah, but you didn't, did you?"

_**[Valentine House]**_

Karen and Larry are having dinner. Karen had just finished eating and sits back, saying, "Well that was a great dinner, Larry."

"Thanks. I took, uh, single parent cooking class. I'm glad you decided to come. Not too painful?"

"No, it wasn't at all."

"But you don't date much?"

"I don't date at all, really." Karen responded. "At night I work or I'm at home with Chase and sometimes with Donald."

"Donald seems like a good man."

"He is. He's a good friend." She clears her throat and starts to clean up. "Well..."

"Oh, no, absolutely not," Larry stops her. "You're off duty and not allowed to touch anything, but your wine glass. Tour the house; make a long distance phone call, whatever. It's called relaxing." He gets up and takes the dishes away.

"Well, you know, I do have some friends in Florence. Maybe I should give them a call."

"Uh-oh," Larry commented.

**[On the Roof]**

"Bree," Chase calls, standing in the middle of the road. "Now this was a great idea." He watches as she turns on lights she hung up and walks over to him.

"I know." Bree replied.

He notices water balloons sit in a barrel. "Did you fill any with milk like we used to?"

"Yeah, I did, some of them. I can't do this stuff with Beck. It just seems, I don't know, does it seem childish?"

"Well, yeah."

"Great!" Bree exclaimed.

"But in a good way."

She suddenly asked, "So what's your situation now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you with Cat, Jade, or that bar-tramp that I heard about?"

"Okay. What'd you hear and who'd you hear it from?"

"I just heard stuff from people."

"I just want to play ball again." Chase started. "You know? Get over this drama. You know, it wasn't long ago I was happy playing hoops with the guys and hanging out with you."

"Yeah, life was much simpler then, wasn't it? I think I'm going to call Beck." She starts to walk away and Chase throws a water balloon at her. "Oh, you are so dead!"

"I guess that one was a milk balloon." Bree grabs one and throws it back at him.

_**[A Club]**_

Leo and Jade are sitting at a table with a girl dancing above them. As Leo laughs, Jade opinionates, "I think she likes you."

"So, thanks for bringing me out tonight." Leo responded. "I've never been to a real club before."

"I'm glad I brought you."

"Yeah...?"

"Yeah, I enjoy corrupting America's youth. It's kind of one of my hobbies."

"So, was Chase one of your test subjects?"

"Can we not go there tonight?" Jade asked.

"Okay. Sorry." Leo apologized. "That girl is practically naked up there."

"So you don't like naked girls?"

"Well, I've never actually seen one up close. But from what I've found online, I'm thinking they are okay?" Jade grins at him. "What?"

"Want to find out for sure?" She gets up and takes his hand. "Let's do some damage."

**[Valentine's House]**

Karen is flipping through Cat's sketches with Larry standing beside her. "It's kind of severe huh?" Larry asked. She sees one of Cat, Jade and Chase shooting the #3 heart.

"It's kind of familiar actually. You know when I was a cheerleader we buried a time capsule midfield of the football stadium. I bet if you dug it up, you'd find a version of the same thing our kinds are going through now."

"Well, I got a couple of shovels in the garage. Want to find out?"

"Yeah, I do."

**[Pool]**

"Sweet," Cat commented, walking by Beck in the backyard of his apartment. "You got a pool?"

"Yeah, do you want to go swimming?"

"No, you are the boy toy; you do what I say tonight."

"Oh, it's just like old times"

Cat scoffed, "Please. You did whatever you wanted and most of the time it was either sucky or mean."

"I know. But you let me."

"Well, maybe I kept thinking that you'd change. Live and learn right?" Cat suddenly changes the subject. "Is this thing heated?"

"I don't know. Why don't you check it out?" She bends down to touch the water and he grabs her, they fall in. Beck is laughing.

"Jeez!" Cat shouted.

"I slipped."

"What?"

"I slipped. Hey, at least it's heated." Cat pushes him under.

**[Rooftop]**

Bree and Chase are throwing water balloons at each other.

**[Pool]**

Beck and Cat are still splashing each other in the pool.

**[Club]**

Jade and Leo are lying on a bed in a back room with two strippers dancing on top of them. "Real thing sure beats the internet, huh?" Jade asked.

"The internet sucks." Leo comments, making Jade laugh.

**[Deb's House]**

Tim slowly opens the front door, calling out, "Hello? Deb? Miss Deborah?"

"Come in, Timmy, I'm in the bath." Taking it the wrong way, he smiles and puts his bag down. He gets to the bathroom.

"Ready or not, here I come." Deb is sitting by the bathtub cleaning the hair out of the drain. Tim comes in wearing zebra stripped underwear. They start screaming as they see each other. "Sorry!"

"Timmy!" Tim is running around gathering his clothes. "I am so sorry. I don't know what gave you the impression that..."

"It's okay. I'm fine." He is trying to put his pants on and falls. Deb comes over to help him.

"It's just that you startled me and-''

"Where's my shirt?" Tim suddenly asks, interrupting her. Deb bends down to pick it up. Douglas walks in and sees Deb on her knees in front of Tim who has his pants half-way down. Douglas laughs.

"The lawyers are gonna love this one." Douglas remarked, walking out.

**[Rooftop]**

Bree is hiding behind a plastic tree. "Chase?" She calls him. "I'm all out of balloons. Can we please call a truce?"

"Is it a real truce or a trick truce?" Chase asked, walking around carefully.

"It's a real truce I promise."

"Okay."

"Okay." She comes out from behind the tree. "Or maybe it's not!" She pulls out one last balloon but Chase throws his at her first. He grabs her. "No, Chase, you're going to hurt your shoulder?" She drops her balloon and it breaks. "Oh, you are so lucky." She gets out of his hold. Chase notices something on her back. She notices his glance. "What?"

"What's on your back?"

"It's nothing." Bree responded.

"Bree, is that a tattoo?"

"No. It's not. It's nothing."

"Bree," He turns her around and there is a small "23" tattooed on her lower back. "23. That's great, Bree. You see, that's why I don't like the guy."

"Chase." She calls him sternly.

"No, that's just like him!" Chase shouts. "It's just like him to get you branded with his jersey number right above your butt."

"He doesn't even know about it." Bree responded. "I just, I just did it."

"You did it by yourself?"

"Yeah, I did by myself."

"Bree, why would you do that?"

"I did it because I'm in love with him." She walks away.

**[Karen's Café]**

Bree is drying her hair then throws the towel to Chase before she gets out two mugs and hot chocolate. Chase starts to speak, sitting down. "Look, I didn't mean to freak out on you up there, but a tattoo?"

"You got one." Bree pointed out. "You got one with a girl you're not even dating anymore."

"I know. How stupid do I look?"

"You hold me to a higher standard than everybody else, Chase, and it's not fair."

"Look, I know it's not fair, okay? But that's because I've seen you be better than most people. Let me see it again." She turns around and lifts up her shirt. "How long ago did you do it?"

She turned back to him, putting down her shirt. "I got it a few days ago."

"And Beck had nothing to do with it?"

"No, I told you, Beck doesn't know. Ugh, God, what am I going to do, Chase? I'm so, I hate being away from him, I think about him constantly. I was in the middle of a history quiz yesterday and I just totally zoned out on him. Maybe we're not going to be together for the rest of our lives, but right now I'm in love for the first time and if I look at this tattoo 20 years from now, and it reminds me of how I feel today, I think I'll be okay with that." Bree preached.

"Then why didn't you buy Beck at the auction? Why hid out with me?" Chase questioned.

"Because, I wanted to remember for a night the way that things were. Everything was so much simpler when it was just you and me. And I'm used to being self-confident, sensible and I just really feel like a mess right now."

"You're not a mess. You're just in love."

"And I'm not sure if he is."

**[Pool]**

"What happened to us, Cat?" Beck wondered, sitting on the edge of the pool, water going up to his neck. "We used to be good together."

Cat scoffed. "No, we weren't. We just had sex a lot."

"Trust me. You're the only guy I've been with. You knew that."

"Yeah, I know. I just, I figured since we broke up, maybe..."

Cat cuts him off, "No."

"Yeah, me neither. It's just sex, right?"

"Okay, you know what, Beck? Bree really deserves better than that. She really, really likes you and she's good for you and more than that, she trusts you..."

"I know that."

"And okay, fine. We could do it, right here in the pool, and nobody would know."

"Cat..."

"But I would know, and you would know, but I wouldn't do that to Bree or myself, or even to you for that matter. Cause you know what? If you screw things up with your relationship with her, then you're a bigger jackass than even I thought."

"I know it would hurt Bree. The only reason I mentioned it was to let you know that I'm not pressuring her."

"Right, I knew that." Cat answered sarcastically.

"You said I was good in bed."

"No, I didn't."

"Oh, yes, you did."

"Oh, God, kill me." Cat muttered, going underwater.

**[Checkers]**

Robbie and Nikki are walking to the car. Nikki is speaking. "So, I left school for good by the way. I thought I might transfer here. Will you at least tell me how she's doing?" He just gets in the car and slams it. She gets in. "So, I guess asking you how you're doing is out of the question." She takes the keys out of the ignition. "You look good.

"Give me the keys, Nikki." He demanded. She is leaning over onto his shoulder. "Stop it."

"Come on. I missed you, Robbie. Remember how good we were?" She has her face against his neck. "I know it's been hard for you, I do. Let me make it easier. Come back to me. We could be a family." She kisses him and he returns it. They kiss for a few seconds then Robbie throws her off.

"Damn it. Damn it, Nikki. You almost had me again. You want to impress me with your maternal instincts? Get out!" They both get out. "Why don't you go buy all the things you think Jenny might need? I'll wait."

"Okay."

"Hey, by the way, she's 9 months old just in case you forgot.'

"I'll be fine."

**[Whitey's Office]**

"Hey." Donald greets him, walking up to the door. Whitey looks up from his desk and sees him.

"Hey, Donald, come on in."

"I saw your car." Donald pointed out, walking out. "So how did the pimp duty go?"

"That's charity coordinator."

"Right, assuming you'd rattle yourself off huh?" Donald asked.

"Nobody could afford me. I'm glad you came by, Donald. I've wanted to ask you a question." He pours them drinks. "When do you plan to start living?"

"Well, I am living, Coach."

"No, you're not. You're dying. I, for one, think it's a shame. You know what I'd change in my life if I could? I'd have Camilla back just to spend one more day with her, when we were young and in love. You love Karen, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. And I plan on telling her that it's just that things have been kind of messy since the accident you know?" Donald responded.

"I understand. There's something you need to understand. Every day you wait is another day you'll never get back. Trust me on that, son. I know."

**[Jade and Leo's Limo]**

"So, why don't you have a girlfriend? You're a nice guy." Jade asks, sitting next to Leo.

"Well, that's the problem. I'm too nice. Girls like jerks."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"You mean Chase?" Leo asked.

"I thought we weren't going to talk about Chase tonight, but I could just throw your ass out at the next light."

"Okay. So let me ask you a question. What do girls want?"

"They want half your paycheck." The driver responded. Jade just rolls up the window between them.

"Here's my philosophy on dating. It's important to have somebody that can make you laugh, somebody you can trust, and somebody that, you know, turns you on. And it's really, really important that these three people don't know each other." They laugh.

**[Robbie's Car]**

He's waiting for Nikki to come back. She comes walking up and takes the things out of the bag. "I got the cutest little stuffed animal." She started.

"She has a purple monkey that she can't sleep without; anything else she ignores." He throws the stuffed animal onto the car. He takes things out of the bag. "You got the wrong formula. She needs a special kind because, well, she wasn't breastfed. These alcohol wipes are bad for her skin. I buy her a special vitamin because she was a little underweight at her six month checkup. She doesn't read. She sure as hell doesn't smoke. Oh, well look, at least you got the most expensive kind of ice cream."

"I got that for you, because on our third date you said that all you needed for life to be good was a pint of this ice cream. I want your life to be good, Robbie. I want to be with the boy that told me those things. Where did he go?" Nikki probed.

"You left him! Damn it, Nikki. It's not fair for you to come back here and do this. It's not fair to me and it's not fair to Jenny."

"I still love you, you know?"

"It's funny. I can't tell you how many times I spent wondering when I was going to hear you say that again, just hoping the next time the phone rang, it'd be you, calling to say those words."

"Robbie." She calls him, but he continues, not bothering to listen to her.

"And now that you're here, I can't even remember why I needed to hear them. You should recognize this next move, Nikki. You perfected it. It's called turning my back and leaving you behind." He gets in the car. Nikki has a tear go down her face.

**[Football Field]**

Larry and Karen are walking on the field with flashlights. Karen is the first to break the silence, "I don't know about this, Larry. We're trespassing."

"No we're not. Our taxes paid for this place."

"Oh, okay, let's try vandalism, theft..." Karen trails off.

"We loosen dirt, on a field we paid for, get property that belongs to you, and we put the dirt back. What could they charge for us?"

"They could charge immaturity." She hands him her beer.

"There's a difference between growing up and growing old, Karen."

"Give me the shovel." She starts to dig.

**[Another Club]**

Leo and Jade are dancing together. "I can't believe you do this every night. You have the greatest life." Leo says. She looks around and makes eye contact with a guy at the bar. She walks over to him. Leo continues to dance with other girls.

"Hi." Jade greets him.

"You look hot tonight."

"Thanks." She kisses him. "So, what's your name?"

"You don't remember the last time we did this. You were, you were pretty wasted. Your name is Jade, right?" Jade realizes what she had done and looks around the room at all the people hooking up. "So, Jade, are we gonna do this again or what?" She looks upset and walks away slowly. Leo notices her leaving and follows.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"I need to go home."

**[Limo]**

Jade looks scared and sad as they are sitting in silence with Leo watching her every move. He breaks the silence, "Jade, did something happen?" She nods, almost crying. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"How long have you known Chase?"

"I've known him since 4th grade. I transferred in."

"And you think he's a good guy?"

"I think he's a great guy. Why?"

"Remember when I told you what girls want?" Jade questioned. "Girls just want somebody to want them back, at least I do." She starts crying and leans on his shoulder.

**[Football Field]**

Larry is digging and Karen is drinking, doing a cheer next to him. "If it's action that you're craving, go and get yourself a Raven. We said go Dingos! Go mighty Dingos. If you really want to school, gotta dig a little more. We say go, Dingos, go mighty Dingos."

"Oh, we got treasure." Larry hits something with the shovel. They pull out a big box. "Oh, yeah, check it out."

"Oh!" She pulls out a yellow shirt.

"Bon Jovi. I saw that tour. Scorpions opened for them."

"Yeah, oh no...!"

"Check out the hair." They have a picture of Karen and Douglas together.

"Me and Douglas," Karen says.

"Is that Donald?" Larry asks.

"Yeah, he was always very protective." In the picture, Donald is standing in the background behind them. "You know, I don't think I ever noticed Donald in this picture before."

"Well, the kid in the background is definitely in love with the girl in the foreground."

Whitey's voice is suddenly heard, "What in the Sam hell is going on here?"

"Oh my god," Karen mutters as she and Larry turn to see Whitey and Donald.

"Karen?"

"Hi, Whitey," Karen awkwardly welcomed him.

"Can I offer you a beer, Coach?" Larry questioned.

"We were, um, having dinner and-'' Donald comes up behind Whitey. "Oh, hey Donald..." He just turns around and leaves. Whitey follows him. As Karen watches them, Larry laughs.

**[Beck's Apartment]**

"It's nearly midnight." Cat pointed out dripping wet in her clothes as she stands in the apartment. "It looks like our date's almost over."

"Yeah, I think I was hitting on you in the pool."

"You think you were?" Cat asked.

"I don't know anymore. This whole good guy thing; it's new to me. I guess I'll always have the feelings for you, Cat. But I owe it to Bree to be a better guy than I've been. I just don't want to be the kind of guy that cheats on her."

"Then don't be that guy. Beck, I'm proud of you. You know, standing up to your dad and being a good guy for Bree. You're turning into the kind of guy I always knew you could be."

**[Outside the Apartment]**

Chase and Bree are coming up the stairs. "So, Beck got his own place." Chase spoke.

Bree responds, "Yeah, this is it. Oh, crap, I left some CDs for him in the car. I'll be right back."

"No, I'll come."

"No, it's alright. Um, why don't you go ahead and go on in? He's in apartment 11. Hey, ask him if he's in love with me and if he says no, break up with him for me, okay?"

Chase chuckled. "Okay."

"Great. Hey, seriously. Say something nice, okay? I mean, he's a really different person."

"Okay."

"Okay." She goes back down and he goes to the apartment.

**[Inside]**

Cat says, "I better get going."

"Okay. I guess by rule, I owe you a kiss."

"I guess so." Chase walks up to the door and sees in. Cat and Beck kiss for a second then smile at each other. Chase backs away from the door, so they don't see him.

**[Outside the Apartment]**

Chase came down to Bree before she could go up. Lying, Chase says, "He wasn't there."

"Are you sure? Did you go to apartment 11?" She calls his cell phone.

"Yeah..."

"Voice mail; great, I guess he's not done yet. I told you Cat was easy."

"Come on, I'll take you home."

"Okay."

**[Limo]**

The driver opens the door for them and they get out. There's silence before Leo breaks it, "I guess I should have told my parents I'd be out late. I'm not sure this was a good idea."

"Leo, you've got to live a little."

"No, it's not that. I mean, a night with you is like flying first class. My life is coach. It's going to be hard going back to it."

"Thanks, but this gets old pretty quick. Trust me." Jade replied.

"Listen, Jade. I don't know what's going on with you and Chase, but he's a really good guy. I've never been really good at sports. I mean, I'm little, you know. But when I decided I wanted to be a sports announcer, Chase introduced me to the guys at the river court and it made me feel like I belonged. He has a good heart. And as far as I can tell, you do too. I'd be really surprised if you two couldn't work things out."

"Thank you."

"Well, I should get home. That stripper might booty call me." He starts to walk away.

"Leo." She gives him a kiss.

"Oh, right, for the charity thing."

"Nah, it was just because."

"Hey, Jade. Thanks. This was the greatest night of my life." He leaves and she gets in the car.

**[Bree's House]**

Chase pulls up in front. Bree asks, "Well, did you have fun tonight, slave boy? Thanks for playing along."

"Look, Bree. I know we've grown apart a bit lately. And I know we have a lot ahead of us. But I just want you to know I'll always be there for you. And if Beck doesn't see how special you really are, well, then he's an idiot because I think you're amazing."

"Thanks Chase. Oh, technically you owe me a good night kiss." She doesn't look happy about it.

"Mm. Rules are rules, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess so." They start to lean in, but she stops them. "Here's the thing, though. If your tongue comes anyway near my mouth, I'm just never speaking to you again." Chase laughs. They have a quick peck on the lips then hug.

"Hey, Bree, you're going to be okay. I promise you that." She smiles and gets out of the car.

**[Robbie's House]**

Nikki is at the door waiting for him. He opens it. "Nikki, don't do this." He tries to close the door.

"Robbie, please. Keeping Jenny away from me because I hurt you is wrong." She tries to look in, but he comes out and closes the door behind him. "Can't you just forgive me?"

"It was a Wednesday."

"What, what was?" Nikki asked.

"That was the day I realized that you weren't coming back. I loved you and you knew that. I would have done anything for you. But you betrayed me. So it was that same Wednesday that I stopped loving you. And I promised myself that my daughter would never feel the pain that you caused me. You want to hear me say it? Fine, you broke my heart, Nikki. But you will never break my daughter's heart because you will never, ever have the chance to."

"I'm going to be in her life with you or without you, Robbie."

**[Chase's House]**

Karen walks in with Larry. "So would you like some coffee?" Karen asked.

"It's getting late. I should probably go."

"I had a lot of fun tonight. I didn't do much of this in high school."

"Well, maybe next time we could do something less juvenile."

"Oh well, if we have to."

"Karen, I know you have some history with Donald. I hope I didn't cause any problems tonight."

"No." Karen responded.

"But I like you for what it's worth."

"Well, I like you too, Larry. And you're right. I do have history with Donald. I'm just not sure we have a future."

He kisses her, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He leaves then the doorbell rings. Donald is there when she answers it. "Donald."

Donald asks, "It's not too late is it?

"No. Is everything okay?"

"Not really. These last few weeks have been the hardest of my life being without you and Chase, on the outside of our lives. I felt like a shadow of someone I used to be. And I know I let you down and I put Chase at risk, but you have to know, I love Chase. And I've been carrying this around with me since the night of the accident." He pulls out a ring box. "I love you, Karen."

"Donald." She calls him.

"I always have. Marry me."

**[River Court]**

Chase is sitting on the picnic table. Jade comes over to him. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay."

"I spent the entire night trying to avoid this or ignore it, but I can't so I've just got to say it."

"Jade, what's up?" He asks. He notices her distant attitude.

"I think...I think I'm pregnant." He looks at her, shocked.

**Next Chapter Summary: Chase must make a difficult decision regarding Jade. Bree considers having sex with Beck. Donald wants something more from his relationship with Karen. **


	19. How Can You Be Sure?

Chapter 19 - How Can You Be Sure?

Chase is still staring at Jade. Soon, he starts to speak. "What do you mean you think?"

"I mean I'm late. Like, really late."

"Did you take a test?" Chase asked. She shakes her head no. "Okay. Okay, um. Look, we have to know okay? Maybe it's a false alarm, you know? Come on. The drug store's still open. We'll do it together. Okay?"

Jade nods as Chase escorts her off the river court.

**[Karen's Front Porch]**

Donald is standing in front of her with the ring box open. "Marry me."

Karen looks at the ring for a minute. "I don't know what to say."

"Well, yes would be a good start."

"It just seems so out of the blue."

"After 15 years?" Donald questions. "Look, Karen, when you left for Italy, we had a future. We're still the same two people who stood at that airport. I was the man who was in love with you and I still am."

"I love you, too, Donald. You're my best friend. You've been a wonderful father figure to Chase. But the time away, the distance, it gave a new perspective."

"It gave you a new perspective on us?"

"Mission Creek is such a small part of the world. And maybe it's where I belong, but there's so much more out there. Italy was the first time since Chase was born that I've spent any time alone. I realized I only know myself as Chase's mother. I've got to find the rest of me. You mean the world to me, Donald." She hands him the box back. "But I'm sorry. I can't marry you."

**[Jade's Room]**

She comes out of the bathroom to Chase who is sitting on the bed. She shows him the positive pregnancy test. "It's positive." Chase states, sighing.

"Oh my god, I'm pregnant." She starts crying and sits next to him. Chase puts her arm around his back and she pushes him off, standing up.

"Come on, I know you're still mad at me. Okay? But I'm here for you. Alright, we'll go to the doctor tomorrow in the city. I'll take you."

"I'll take myself."

"Jade, I'm just as scared as you are. But I want to help. Please. Just trust me."

"Yeah, because that worked out so well for me the last time I trusted you." Jade remarked, walking away from him.

**[Morning - Beck's Apartment]**

Bree walks into his bedroom and he's still asleep. She smiles at him and crawls onto the bed. She whispers into his ear, "Hey you wake up."

"Hey." Beck greets her when he opens his eyes.

"Hey."

"I didn't even hear you come in." He says.

"Well, you didn't hear your alarm clock either."

"That's because it didn't go off. Everybody gets up at six, geez."

"Well, it's time to get up." She starts to get off and he grabs her back.

"I am up. Come here."

"Oh yeah...?" They start kissing then the alarm goes off. "Oh, I'll get that." She bends over to turn it off and Beck sees her tattoo. "You want me to start your shower?"

"Uh, yeah, thanks."

"Okay." She leaves and Beck looks confused.

**[Woman's Clinic]**

Chase is waiting outside for Jade. He frantically walks up to her once she comes out. "So what happened?" He asks.

"The nurse said they'd call me in a few hours with the results and then she asked me about the father."

Douglas is driving by and sees her car and the two of them outside the clinic.

"What did you say?"

"I told her the sorry bro tramp kicked my ass to the curb." She walks away.

"God," He scoffs.

**[Locker Room]**

Beck is at his locker and Chase comes up to him. "So, this whole thing with Bree was really just your way of messing with me huh?" Chase asks, starting a fight.

Beck rolls his eyes and asks, "What's your problem now?"

"I saw you making out with Cat last night."

"Look, maybe you're a little sow, but we kissed because it was the auction rules.

"I know what I saw." Chase responded. Beck opens his locker and Chase slams it shut.

"I'm about to beat your butt, man."

"I promised Bree I'd give you a breath; that's about the only thing that's you right now." Chase replied. Beck shoves him.

"Look, I kissed Cat like you kissed Bree. That's it. What are you so tweaked about?"

"Never mind, I'm sorry." He leaves.

**[Robbie's House]**

Nikki is standing at the door. Annoyed, Robbie asks, "What do you want, Nikki?"

"I think we covered that." She looks in at Cat holding Jenny. "Let me hold her."

"No, no, she's tired." Robbie turns to the red-head. "Cat, could you take Jenny to her room for me, please?"

"Yes."

"Thanks." He watches as she leaves.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Nikki questioned.

"She's just a friend, okay? She sits for Jenny sometimes."

"Relax, I'm just asking."

"Nikki..." Robbie starts, but gets interrupted by Nikki.

"Listen, our little romantic outing to the grocery store got me thinking. You shouldn't have to be using food stamps and paying for everything. I can help you. I have some tuition money left over..."

"I don't want your money."

"Robbie, this isn't fair. Now you won't let me be a part of my daughter's life, but you'll hand her off to some babysitter?"

"Hey, Jenny loves Cat. She's got a lot of other people that care about her too."

"And none of these people are her mother." She turns around to the mantel and looks at the pictures on it.

"What are you looking at?" Robbie asked. She picks up his basketball team picture.

"You're life." She sees Chase in it."

"Yeah, that's my life. You notice who's not in it?" Robbie asked. None of them notice Cat is listening from the stairs.

**[Outside School]**

Chase is running up to Jade. "Jade, hold on, I need to ask you a question. Is there still no news?"

"Did I come find you?" Jade asked bitterly.

"Well, where are you going?"

"I'm going away from you."

"Hey, come on, you can't cut me out of this. I'm just as worried as you are."

"Oh really, or are you just worried that having a kid might deflate your market value?" Jade quizzed.

"That's not it."

"Oh that's right; you're not on the market anymore. You're a one woman kind of guy. Speaking of which, how is my former best friend?"

"Cat has nothing to do with this, okay?"

"She doesn't yet! Maybe you can pull a Douglas Davenport and knock her up too."

"Jade!" Chase shouts.

"Or maybe then you can move on to random bar-tramps. Oh wait, you've already done that. Better be careful, Dougie Jr., never know how many kids you're going to end up with."

"Oh yeah, that's real nice, Jade, and by the way, it's not like I'm the only guy you've ever slept with."

"What's your point?"

"How do I even know it's mine?" He asks as her phone rings.

"It's the doctor." Jade said, answering the phone. "Hello? Yes, this is she. Okay. Thank you." She hangs up and gets in her car. "Trust me, it's yours." She drives away.

**[Deb's House]**

She is exercising and Douglas comes in behind her. She bends over in front of him and sees him between her legs. "Oh, that reminds me." Douglas suddenly says.

"How did you get in here?"

"The door was open. Why? Who were you expecting? Were you expecting another high school boy with his pants around his ankles?"

"What do you want, Douglas?"

"I want my son to come to his senses. Have you seen his apartment?"

"Yeah, I dropped off some food."

"Did he ask you for any money?" Douglas questioned.

"No, but I gave him some."

"Oh, that's great, that's great. Don't you ever want him to come home?"

"I want him home as much as you do. But for once in his life, you need to let him make his own mistakes."

"Right, you bring him food and cash and I'm the one who needs to let him make his own mistakes. Oh and by the way, you tell your friend Karen her son was coming out of a family planning clinic with a date. Is that the kind of mistake you had in mind for Beck?" Douglas asks. Deb leaves the room.

**[Beck's Apartment]**

Bree and Beck come running in in their bathing suits with towels around them. "Are you hungry?" Beck asks.

"Oh, I'm hungry for you."

"No, I'm serious. We can heat something up, or go out and eat if you want to."

"What's wrong?" Bree asked after trying to kiss him but he rejects.

"Nothing, I'm just hungry."

"I don't buy it, talk to me."

"I just don't feel like making out, that's all."

"You realize you just said that right? Since when didn't you want to make out?"

"I didn't want to ever since you got my jersey number tattooed on your butt."

"Oh, it's above my butt, actually. When did you see that?"

"I saw it this morning."

"Does that bother you?" Bree asked.

"I'm just confused as hell. I mean you'll do something that permanent, but you won't have sex with me?"

"You can get a tattoo removed, Beck. Sex is a really big deal for me."

"I get that." Beck responded. "That's why I haven't been pressuring you into it."

"The way you're not pressuring me right now."

"I'm going to heat up some food."

**[Outside School]**

Jade is walking with the cheerleaders towards Chase. "Jade." He calls her.

"I'm busy."

"Look, don't shut me out on this, okay? We can deal with it together."

"We're not together, remember? You dodged the bullet just in time." She walks away with the girls. Cat comes up to Chase.

"Hey." She greets him. "Beck told me about the fantasy kiss scenario you thought you saw. Were you high? That kiss didn't mean anything; I wouldn't do that to Bree."

"Yeah, I guess I overreacted." He keeps looking back towards Jade who is walking into the gym with the girls.

"She's gone you know."

"Huh?"

"Jade."

"What? Why do you assume I'm looking for Jade?"

"That's because you are. Is she still freezing you out?"

"Yeah, she is sort of."

"Me too, do you want to talk about it?"

"I think I've screwed things up enough as it is." Chase responded.

"Yeah, me too..."

"And worse than that..."

"What, it's worse than the death wish best friend love triangle? What'd you do, tell her she was fat?" He shakes his head. "Okay, look, she's pissed at me too, but she's still my friend. What's going on?"

"What were we thinking, Cat?" Chase asked.

"You and me, or you and Jade...?"

"All of us."

"I guess we weren't." Cat responded. He just walks away.

**[Cat's Room]**

Cat is drawing and Bree is on the bed next to her painting her toe nails. "I like that. What color is it?" Cat asked.

"It's shag." Bree responds. She starts to hesitate from asking a question, but asks anyway. "Did Beck ever cheat on you?"

"Where'd that come from?"

"I just wonder if, maybe he's going to start looking somewhere else for what he's not getting from me."

"Hmm, the big bad sex issue." Cat responds as Bree tosses her the polish."

"Yeah," Bree replied. Cat walks over to her black wall. "I mean, we start making out, and it's great, and I totally get into him, and then I just hit this point."

"I bet he loves that."

"Yeah...I guess I just always thought I would wait until I fell in love, and got married, and then I met Beck and everything got really confusing. It was never something I had to deal with right away, it was always a few years off. And then all of a sudden..." She trails off.

"It wasn't? I've been down that road."

"I don't know if I'm ready, Cat."

"Or maybe you're just not sure if Beck's the right guy."

"No, I'm, I can safely rule that out. He, I can't breathe when I'm around him and when I'm not around him I want to be. I'm just...I'm just totally in love with him."

Cat has written "BJ + BD" on the wall with a heart around it. "Well, then you've gone further with him than I ever did."

**[Weight Room]**

Chase is doing leg presses when Douglas comes in. "Be careful with those knees. Trust me; I know. I also know what it's like to be sidelined with an injury. I wouldn't wish it on anyone who's serious about their game. How's the shoulder?" Douglas asked.

"It's fine."

"Good." Douglas replied. "You know I saw you at the clinic the other day with that girl. I don't have to tell you you're turning into my area of expertise. You know, Chase, one day I woke up and I was looking down the barrel of a life I couldn't control. Maybe you find yourself in the same situation. I just thought you could use some advice. I can see that you're scared. But don't let that fear cloud your vision. You know I asked your mom to get an abortion. She said no. She was too emotional. If she was thinking clearly, she would have done what I said."

"So your advice is to have an abortion the way you would have aborted me."

"You've got a lot of life yet to live, Chase. Don't let this girl make the same mistake your mother made, because if you do, you'll be paying for it until the day you die." Douglas stops and leaves.

**[Deb's House]**

She and Donald are sitting at the kitchen counter. "I'm glad you came by Donald. I've been so caught up in my own problems; we haven't had a chance to catch up."

"Well you might as well hear it here. I asked Karen to marry me."

"What?"

"She said no."

"Oh, Donald, I'm so sorry."

"You know, you never really picture it. You run it through your mind a thousand times over fifteen years. You know how the moment will feel when your love agrees to be your wife. But you never see her saying no." Donald expounds.

"Well, you're still an important part of her life. That won't change. She needs you."

"Well, maybe she needs me, but she doesn't want me."

"I'm sorry. What did Chase say?" Deb asked.

"I don't even know if she's told him yet."

**[Beck's Apartment]**

Someone knocks on the door and Beck answers. "Dad," he flatly calls.

"Oh." He looks around at his messy apartment. "Looks like I missed the party.

"You weren't invited." Beck stated. "You should have called."

"Why? You don't call back. I had to run a credit check to get your address. Your mother wouldn't give it to me." Beck tries close the door, but he stops him. "Hey. You think you're ready for this? I've got news for you, son; playing house costs a lot of money."

"So, I'll get a job."

"Oh great, what's that going to do to your game? It's okay to be irrational every once and a while. But you have thought this thing through? I give you a week out in the real world."

"You know what the best part about having my own place is, dad?" Beck asked. "I can ask you to leave."

"Fine, but the beach house will be there for you when you hit rock bottom and you will." Douglas finishes and leaves."

**[Outside School]**

Cat is sitting alone with her cell phone and Nikki sits next to her. "Who are you calling? Robbie?" Nikki asked. "Look, I know you babysit Jenny, but I'm back now so Robbie and I won't be needing you anymore. Oh, and if there's anything going on between you and Robbie, well you're not going to be a permanent part of my daughter's life, so if I were you I wouldn't get too attached."

"If I were you, I would walk away." Cat threatens.

"You have to know you're temporary, right? I mean, all the babysitting in the world isn't going to make you Jenny's mother.

"All the eyeliner in the world won't make you anything other than a psycho stalker bitch." Cat shot back. She gets up and starts walking towards Jade.

Jade asks, "Is that a friend of yours?"

"She's Robbie's ex. All of a sudden, she's trying to deal with her issues and I think I'm one of them."

"Scary." Jade commented.

"So you're talking to me?" Cat asked.

"Yeah, I guess I am. There's some stuff going on and I don't know what to do. I screwed up. I can't even say it."

"Is it about Chase? He was really upset yesterday."

"I thought you and Chase weren't together."

"No, we're not. We were just, um-"

Jade cuts her off, "You know what, forget it, Cat. You are the last person I should be talking to." She walks away.

**[Robbie's House]**

"Damn." Robbie mutters after hearing the news that Jade was pregnant.

"Yeah, I didn't want to tell anybody, but-'' Chase trails off.

"Hey, I didn't want to tell anybody either, but I felt a lot better after I did. What does Jade want to do?"

Chase looks at Jenny. "I don't know. She won't talk to me."

"What do you want her to do?" Robbie quizzed.

"How do I answer that? I'm just walking around like a zombie right now. I guess I want whatever's best for her."

"Does she think she's going to have it? You know, Nikki and I, we talked about not keeping the baby."

"Yeah, so did Douglas and my mom. But how screwed up is that, huh? If she had listened to him, I wouldn't be standing here right now."

"Well, Chase, I don't want to lie to you. If Jade has this kid, you're life; it's going to change. Where's your head at?"

"My head says we're not ready to be parents yet. I can't even take care of myself. Plus, there's college. Not just for me, but for Jade, too. God my mom is going to freak out."

**[Beck's Apartment]**

Beck is filling out a _For Sale_ sign for his mustang. Bree comes in behind him. She greets him, "Hey."

"Hey."

"Are you kidding?" She asks once she sees the sign.

"I've got to sell the car to pay for the apartment."

"What is your dad going to say?" Bree asked.

"He can say whatever he wants. It's still my car."

"You know, if you need some extra money, I could always be your sugar mama." She kisses his neck and he doesn't respond. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just I'm...you said you weren't ready so I'm trying to respect that."

"So we can't even kiss now?"

"No, I'm just trying to make you uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry, Beck. I know this is so not fair to you."

"No. Actually it's not fair to you."

"I just..." Bree started, but Beck interrupts her.

"Just, don't apologize, okay?" He gets up and leaves.

**[Jade's Room]**

She is lying in bed at night looking at the ceiling.

**[Chase's Room]**

He's awake in bed, too. He looks at the clock. It's almost 4 am.

**[Kitchen]**

Karen is getting a drink and Chase comes into the room. "Mom...?" He calls her.

"Hey. Did I wake you?" She asks.

"No." He replied.

"Sometimes I can't sleep. I just lie awake and worry."

"What are you worried about?" Chase questioned.

"I'm a mother, Chase. I worry about everything. What are you doing up?"

"There something I have to tell you." Chase answered. "You should sit."

"Okay. I think I'll stand."

"This is going to hurt you, mom. And I'm sorry."

"What happened?"

"Jade is pregnant." He confesses and she slaps him.

"OH, my god, Chase, I'm sorry."

"I guess I deserved that." He walks towards his room.

"Chase." They go into his room. They are both crying. "Look, I didn't mean it Chase."

"I'm sure you did."

"No, I didn't! It's just that, do you understand? This is exactly what I didn't want for you. Have I been talking to myself the last few years? You have so much left to do in life. So does Jade." She hugs him. "Oh, God, you're just too young for this."

"Don't cry, mom."

"It's just that I'm scared for you. I cannot believe that this is happening."

"How close was I to not existing?" Chase suddenly asks. "Dan wanted to have an abortion, mom. Why didn't you listen to him?"

"I realized that I wanted you in my future. What does Jade want?"

Chase answers, "I don't know."

"Oh, she must be so scared." She hugs him again. "Chase."

"What are we going to do?"

**[Karen's Café]**

Bree serves Chase a plate of food. "Alright, hot off the grill, my friend."

"I'm not hungry." Chase responded.

"Alright, there's more for me. So, uh, I've got to ask you kind of a personal question. Just out of curiosity. How many times per minute do guys think about sex?"

"Per minute they think about it?"

"Yeah, Elle magazine said that guys think about sex like every 30 seconds."

"You're think about having sex with him." Chase says out loud.

"Shush," Bree warns.

"Sorry."

"Look, it just keeps coming up. And..." He looks at her weird. "Sorry, those were wrong words."

"Look, it's not my place to tell you how to live your life, Bree. But for what it's worth, I wish I would have waited."

"Really, you would have?"

"All I'm saying is just look past the moment. If you're not ready, then just wait. Okay?"

**[Deb's House]**

Beck is sitting in the living room, going through a folder. Deb walks in and notices him. "I didn't hear you come in."

"I didn't make any noise." Beck answered.

"You're father stopped by. He wanted your address but I didn't give it to him."

"He found me anyway."

"Sorry. Beck, you can come home anytime, you know that right? I'm still here."

"I don't want to come home."

"You know, I walk around this empty house and it doesn't seem real. I wish I could go back and do things differently."

"I need to ask you a question."

"Okay."

"Why'd you do it?" Beck asked.

"What?"

"Cheat on dad."

"I was confused. We were married so young and suddenly I was a wife and a mother before I was my own person. But when we grew up, we grew apart."

"Why? Why did you guys grow apart?"

"I wish I knew, Beck. But none of that makes what I did right."

"Cause you were married?"

"Because I had a commitment to him and to you and those moments of what I mistook for happiness weren't worth the cost of hurting someone I loved, and loosing you over it now."

He stands up and walks out.

**[Outside Chase's House]**

Nikki is waiting for him on his porch. He opens the door and scrunches his face up. "Nikki?"

"Hello stranger," Nikki greeted him.

"How'd you find me?"

"I found out you were on Robbie's basketball team. After that it didn't take a private eye."

Chase inquires, "Oh, you know Robbie?"

"I know him pretty well, actually. Jenny's my daughter. It's a small world, huh?"

"Oh, look, Robbie's a good friend okay? I had no idea."

"And neither did I and that's why I don't want you to say anything."

"I didn't know who you were."

"Chase, I'm trying to get my family back together, and it's not going so well. Remember that night and what you told me about your dad? How you feel about him? I don't want Jenny to ever say the same thing about me. I still have a chance to correct my mistake, Chase. Please, don't say anything." She leaves.

**[Donald's House]**

Chase walks into the entrance and calls out for Donald, "Donald?"

"Hey, Chase." Donald greets him, walking over.

"Hey."

"I called you a couple of times. How've you been?'

"I'm good. I've just been dealing with some stuff."

"Yeah, me too...it's really good to see you. How's the rehab going?"

"Oh, it's good. It's good. It should be ready for the playoffs."

"Yeah, you look a lot better. Sit down." They both take a seat. "How's everything else?"

"Like what?"

"Like the rest of your life. What's going on?"

"There's something I wanted to ask you."

"Sure."

"When my mom got pregnant, and Douglas left, why didn't you? Why'd you stand by her?" Chase asked.

"Well, it was the right thing to do. And I loved her, and I wanted to protect her. But she didn't really need it."

"She's pretty tough, huh?"

"Your mom could have been anything in this life."

"Yeah, if it wasn't for me, she could've been."

"Chase, you're the best thing that ever happened to your mom. Trust me on that."

"Look, Donald, I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted with Jade and all when my mom was in Italy."

"That's water under the bridge. No damage done, right?"

"Right, that's right. I should take off." Chase starts to get up.

"Yeah, you should. Uh, Chase, you know I'm proud of you, right?"

"Sure."

"And I'll always be there for you. You know, even if I'm not around as much."

"Yeah, I know. Is everything okay?" Chase asks, noticing Donald's asking a little distant.

"Yeah, everything's good."

"Okay."

"Alright, I'll see you."

"See ya." He leaves.

**[Outside]**

Bree and Beck are sitting on a bench. "Beck, I know I'm driving you crazy." Bree started.

"No, you're not."

"Do you think that I'm a tease?"

"Stop it."

"Well, what do you think?"

"I think that you're my girlfriend, and I like to spend time with you. Look, I just don't want to push you."

"You're not."

"But I am. Bree, you got a tattoo for god sakes. It just freaks me out a little bit, because obviously this whole thing with us means a lot to you. I just don't want to do anything to pressure you or drive you away even though sometimes I can't help it. Just like I can't help that I fell in love with you. Cause I did. I love you, Bree. And it scares me, a little bit, but there is."

"Wow. There it is. I love you too." She kisses him and they continue to kiss.

**[Douglas Davenport Motors]**

Chase comes into Douglas' office. Douglas looks up to see him and asks, "Something I can help you with?"

"Not really. I just wanted to thank you for filling in some of the blanks for me about how you felt when my mom got pregnant."

"I'm glad to be of help. How's that situation with Jade?"

"It's none of your business." Chase replied.

"No? Isn't that why you really came here?" Douglas questioned.

"You know, before this happened to me, I never quite understood how you could be so selfish. Every day I wondered until now."

"Now you see the other side."

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"Don't be so quick to judge me, Chase. It's easy to have all the answers from a distance. But everybody makes decisions they regret like me, your mother, and Donald. But we learn to live with it. It's part of life."

"Not my life. Not yet."

"Yeah, yeah, I felt that once. Then I grew up." Douglas responded. Chase just rolls his eyes and leaves.

**[Karen's Café]**

Donald walks into the empty café to see Karen cleaning. She looks up to see him. "I was hoping you'd come by soon. We obviously need to talk." She started.

"I'm going to make a change, Karen."

Karen questions, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I woke up this morning and everything just felt far away. And then I went outside and for the first time, Mission Creek didn't feel like home. And I just thought; why am I still here? You know? I never planned on spending my whole life here, and I just needed someone to remind me and you did that. And it's okay."

"Are you leaving?" Karen quizzed.

"There's not time like the present, right?"

"Donald, this isn't because of me."

"No, it's because of me. You did me a favor, Karen, by going to Italy and by saying no to me. You woke me up and I appreciate that."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know. But I got to say, it feels really good to have options." He gets up and touches Karen's shoulder on his way out.

**[Jade's Room]**

She is on her bed, watching TV. Chase comes in and lightly knocks on the door. Jade looks at him and asks, "What part of "stay away from me" do you not understand?"

"Just give me 60 seconds, okay?"

"I'm sorry, but argument cutoff was 9 o'clock."

"Well, I don't want to argue. You don't even have to say anything. Just listen. My dad didn't want me, okay? Not just that; he didn't want to claim me. He didn't want to be born. I always thought that when I started a family I'd be older, and settle, and I'd be..."

"You thought you'd be in love?" Jade finished for him.

"Yeah, but so did my mom."

"Chase." Jade starts, but he continues.

"No, this whole thing scares the hell out of me, okay? But whatever you decide to do, I'll be there. And if you're not ready, then you're not ready, but if you want to have this baby, then so do I. And whatever it takes for me to be a good father, I'll be there always. I promise you. I won't let you down." She starts crying. "Hey."

"I lied."

"What?"

"I'm not pregnant."

"But I saw the test."

"I know. Then when the doctor called he said I wasn't pregnant and that can happen."

"Okay, no, no, no. I was standing right there when he called."

"And you had just called me a tramp!"

"So you lied to punish me?! How could you do that?" Chase asked.

"How could you cheat on me with my best friend?" She shouted.

"Jade. I never meant to hurt you."

"That doesn't really matter, because in the end, it all just hurts the same."

**[Douglas' Office]**

He opens a box with a birthday card from Beck. He finds an envelope with a lot of old pictures and newspaper cutouts of Chase growing up.

**[Robbie's House]**

Cat is holding Jenny on the couch and Robbie is sleeping next to her. Nikki is standing outside the window, watching them.

**[Pawn Shop]**

Donald stands outside and looks at the ring then goes inside.

**[Jade's Room]**

She is on her bed crying. _"It doesn't really matter because in the end, it all hurts the same."_

**[Chase's Kitchen]**

He is sitting at the table with his head to his hands. Karen comes in. He looks up at her. "Jade's not pregnant," He informs. Karen looks relieved. "It was just a scare."

"Are you okay?" She asks.

"Not really." He hugs her. "Thanks mom."

"Thanks for what?"

"Thanks for everything."

**Next Chapter synopsis: While Beck looks for a job to pay rent, Bree hosts a party at his apartment - but she panics when the situation gets out of control. **


	20. What is and What Should Never Be

Chapter 20 - What Should and What Should Never Be

**[Bree's Room]**

Beck is sleeping in her bed and wakes up. Bree is sitting at her dresser. She turns to see he's awake. "I had the weirdest dream that there was this rapping at my window at 4 o'clock in the morning followed by my boyfriend, who has his own apartment by the way, asking if he can crash in my room. Wait a second, that wasn't a dream." She walks over to him.

"I had to get out of there." He spoke.

"Did I mention that this a recurring dream? This is what, like the fourth time in two weeks? Not that I'm complaining but it does defeat the purpose of having your own place."

"Tim keeps bringing over all these hot chicks, which is a problem because none of them are you."

"Uh-uh."

"That place is like party central. It's not even my party."

"Well, maybe it should be. Oh, we should throw our own party, like a take-back-the-party party."

"Alright, let's do it." Beck agreed. "What about this Saturday?"

"It sounds good. I'm free."

"Done, you've got to plan it though. And make sure it's kind of low-key. Just a few friends, you know!"

"Okay. So much fun! Now crawl back out the window before my parents wake up and hear you."

"Hear what, this?" He pulls her onto the bed and Bree screams.

"Oh shoot! Just don't tickle me!"

**[School Hall]**

"Hey, Cat." Bree greets Cat, running up to her.

"What's up?" Cat asks her with a smile.

"Beck and I are having a little thing at his place on Saturday?'

"Bree James, party girl."

"Yeah, it's not going to be that big of a deal, but he said that I could invite who ever I want, so do you want to come?"

"Hell yeah," Cat shouted.

"Alright, I'll see you there." Bree walks off.

"Later."

**[Karen's Café]**

"Hey, Donald." Karen greets him as she watches him walk in and walk to the counter.

"That's Mr. Davenport."

"What I can't call you Donald anymore?" Karen asked.

"No I'm just trying it out. What do you think of me as a teacher?"

"Well, I think you'd be great. Why?"

"I have an interview tomorrow at a school in Charleston."

"Wow. When you said you planned on leaving, I didn't realize it would be this fast."

"Well, there's no reason to wait right!"

"Hey, Donald," Chase greets his uncle, walking in.

"Hey, Chase. Tell me you're going to practice.'

"The therapist says I'm ready to go."

"Now, that's what I'm talking about." Once Chase leaves, Donald asks Karen a question. "You didn't tell him about my proposal, did you?"

"I was kind of wrestling with that. Should I tell him you plan on leaving town?"

"No, I'll tell him."

"He's going to miss you."

"Yeah, I know."

**[Practice]**

The guys are running drills. Beck is instructing Chase. "Knock it down, Chase." Chase shoots and misses. Beck makes his shot. "Keep shooting man, it'll come."

Chase shoots again and misses. He keeps shooting as the gym clears out and he cannot make a shot. Cat comes in with some other cheerleaders to get her things. "See you guys later." Cat tells the cheerleaders before turning her attention to Chase.

"Well, the good news is I'm back; the bad news is that I suck." Chase spoke, stretching his arm.

"You okay?" She asks.

"Yeah, it's just a little tight."

"Here." She helps him stretch it. "You're just rusty. Pretty soon, you'll really suck. Just like before. Is that better?" He nods and Jade walks in.

"You know, I'd tell you two to get a room, but then you've already done that." Jade remarked, getting her things and leaving. Cat follows her.

**[Outside the Gym]**

Jade is walking away and Cat is trying to catch up. "Jade!" Cat shouts. "Jade, we need to stop doing this."

"Fine," Jade turns to her. "I'll stop talking to you and you can definitely stop talking to me.

"Okay, I mean we're not really friends anymore, are we?" Cat asked.

"You know, for a fake red-head, you catch on slow."

"Alright, I tried apologizing to you and I'm done trying now."

"Good. I mean it's really pretty pathetic."

"Fine, if that's what you want." She walks away and Jade looks after her, disappointed.

**[Beck's Apartment]**

Beck and Tim are playing video games. Bree comes in with groceries. "Hey." Bree greets them.

"Hey." Beck pauses the game and goes into the kitchen with her.

"I got everything except the drinks." Bree says.

Tim shouts from the living room, "Make it BYOB or BYOT. Get it? Tim? "T"."

They just roll her eyes and Beck responds to Bree. "You know, if you need some cash, I've got some from selling the car."

"No, this party's totally on me." Bree responds as Tim un-pauses the game and continues playing. Bree continues. "But listen, I ran into some extra people and I didn't want to say no. But it's going to be low-key, I promise."

"Okay." She reaches up to put things away and Beck sees her tattoo again. "What?"

"You're just lucky Tim's here, because I've got a thing for girls named Bree James."

"Really, you do? Well, you're lucky Tim's here too."

"Tim, go home." Both of them order.

"What?" Tim asks. They just laugh.

"Um, I've got more stuff in the car, so go play. I'll kiss you later."

"Aright, I will." She leaves and Beck sits back with Tim.

"Damn, she sure was a surprise. It's like everything you touch turns cool. You're like King Midol or something."

"Were you playing this whole time?" Beck shouted.

"Yeah, your team sucks." Tim notices Douglas walk in behind them. "I win. See you."

"How's my wife?" Douglas asks as Tim walks out behind him. He then turns to Beck. "Do you want to tell me why some guy I've never seen before came in to put a security system in a new mustang? A mustang I thought I had given to you as a gift!"

"Cause I sold it." Beck responded flatly.

"You had no right to do that."

"Dad, look, I've got expenses now. Like rent."

"Uh, no, you don't get that as an out. I'm offering you a home. You turn be down; you're on your own. I want the rest of the money from the sale. I'll take cash or a check. Or you can keep the money and come home with me now."

"Thanks for stopping by, Dad. We shouldn't do this more often." Douglas takes the check and leaves after Beck writes him one.

**[Outside School]**

Bree is talking to two girls. "We're trying to keep it small, so don't advertise."

One of the girls reply, "Oh hey, our lips are sealed. Thanks for the invite, Bree. You rock." They leave and Jade comes up.

"Hi, friend," Jade greets her.

"Hey, Jade."

"So, when's the party?" Jade asked.

"Well, it's Saturday night, but..." Bree trails off.

"Don't worry; I'm not gonna tip off the paparazzi."

"Oh, no, I'm not worried; we're just trying to keep it small, so."

"Cat said not to invite me." Jade assumed bluntly.

"No she didn't." Bree says abruptly. "Well, not exactly."

"Alright, you know, you have your little party and play your nude twister, and..."

"Jade," Bree interrupted her. "It's really just going to be a couple of friends."

"Right, but I'm not one of them...whatever." Jade leaves sadly, majorly offended.

**[Mall]**

Bree and Beck are walking around by the carousel and a food stand. "What kind of experience do you have to have to work at a mall?" Beck questioned.

"I don't know, some. Okay, you want a smoothie? It's on me." Beck nods and they walk up to the smoothie stand. "What do you want?"

"What about something with cash in it?"

"Actually," They see a sign for Now Hiring and pick up the paper work.

"Food service...?" Beck questioned. Bree looks at him. "Give me the pen."

The worker, Gary, looks at the paper as Beck fills it out.

"Beck Davenport." Gary calls him. "Can you start now?"

"Yeah, I guess I can."

"Well that was easy." Bree commented.

**[Cat's Room]**

She is drawing on her desk and Chase taps on a CD case he is holding outside her door. "Hey. I got your Blackout CD." Chase informed. "I forgot I had it."

"Thank you. So you smell that?" She goes to her door and on the back of it is written "missing CDs". She goes down the list and scratches off the Blackout.

"What?"

"That scent in the air. I think it is called guilt. Jade and I called it quits today."

"That sucks." Chase remarks.

"Yeah, it does. Usually girls don't break up. We kind of just bitch and bicker until we can work it out."

"I'm sorry, Cat." Chase apologized.

"Yeah, so am I. I'm going to miss her. Anyway, I'm glad you came by. I was actually going to call you."

"Why? What's up?"

"Bree's party is what's up. Are you going?"

"Yeah, how great is that, huh? I don't think Bree's ever thrown a party."

"Do you want to go together?" She asked. Chase looks at her confused. "It's not like a date or anything."

"Okay, how exactly does that work?"

"Let's see, um, we don't make out. But we don't argue. I think we kind of just have fun. Look, we're friends okay? And it would really be great if we could just be friends."

"What about Jade?"

"Hang out with her, date her, whatever. You know, but you and I shouldn't have to avoid each other."

"Okay, Bree's party."

"Great."

"So, what are you listening to, huh?" He goes back to her shelves of albums.

"Actually, I'm on this 80's metal kick. I just picked up this rat album and it's outstanding. Check it out!"

**[Beck's Work]**

He is trying to make pretzels. He pulls out the dough and weighs it then drops it. He keeps trying to twist them around to make the shape. He puts one on the oven tray and burns himself. The pretzels coming out of the oven are all misshaped and ugly.

"Excuse me; can I get a napkin here?" A customer asks.

"Yeah, just hang on a second." Beck answered. Gary instead takes care of it.

"Here you go, sir. I'm sorry about that." Gary apologized.

"Thank you."

"The customers come first, Davenport!" Gary shouts. "Give it a pulp."

"What?"

"P.U.L.P; Performance Understanding Leadership People; its PULP, the hot and twisted way."

"Isn't that what they used to call your mom, hot and twisted?"

"You might be a big star at school but here I'm your boss."

"Wait, you go to Mission Creek High?"

"I'm in your History class. Okay, here's some more recent history. At homecoming last year, you and a few of your Ravens buddy kicked my ass just for fun. Does that ring a bell?"

"It kind of does ring a bell. Sorry."

**[Karen's Café]**

Karen is wrapping a tie at the table. Chase walks in and asks, "Who's the tie for?"

"It's for Donald. He's got a job interview coming up. He's thinking of moving, Chase."

"Why? He can't get a job here?"

"I don't think he wants a job here."

"Mom...!" Chase shouts.

"Donald proposed to me and I said no."

"I got to go see him." Chase walks out.

**[Donald's House]**

He is getting dressed when Chase walks in. "Hey, Chase, what's up?"

"Donald," He gives Donald a hug. "I'm sorry man."

"That's okay." Donald responds, pulling away.

"Mom told me what happened and said you're leaving."

"Well, we'll see."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Chase asks.

"Well as hard as it was that your mom turned me down, the thought of leaving you is even harder. I don't want to be the second Davenport brother to do this to you."

"Yeah, but you know that I don't see you that way. Look, I know that Mom said no. But that doesn't mean you have to go!" Chase shouts.

"It's time for me to move on, Chase. It's just something I've got to do whether I get this job or not. But look, wherever I end up, you can always call or visit. I'll always be a guy you can turn to."

"I know. And I want you to have what you want, you know? But, I wanted you to be my dad, too."

**[Karen's Café]**

Karen is holding Jenny in her arms as Deb walks by. "They were so much simpler then." Deb speaks, walking up to her.

"Are you nostalgic for sleepless nights?" Karen asks, looking up at her.

"Well, let's see; my husband won't divorce me, but my son doesn't have to think twice about it."

"Oh, Deb, I'm sorry." Karen apologized.

"You know, I was sitting alone in that big empty house and it occurred to me, on my long list of dump decisions, turning down your partnership offers was one of the dumbest. Any chance it still stands?"

"Of course it does."

"Good. Then let's do it."

"Alright," Karen responds.

"Well, I'm off to go tell Douglas that he's got 24 hours to clear out his things or they go to Good Will." She says as Donald comes in, wearing his suit.

"Or else I could help you burn them." Donald offers, having heard the conversation.

"You look nice." Deb compliments.

"Thank you." Donald responds, returning Deb's hug.

"Bye Deb." Karen speaks as Deb walks out.

"Bye."

Karen gives Donald his present. "I wanted to give this to you before your interview."

"Oh thanks."

"But employee daycare called." Karen responded as he opened the tie box.

"Oh, that's great."

"It's for good luck."

"I'll get this off." He pulls off his clip on tie and starts putting on the new own.

"I already tied it up for you."

"You know; Chase came by to see me last night."

"Yeah, he said he was going to."

"It really meant a lot to me. And I think he's going to be okay. Even if I do get the job I'm less than three hours away, so he can always visit me."

"Here, let me help you with that collar." She gives him Jenny and adjusts his tie and collar.

"There you go. Are you cute?" They meet eyes when she's helping him and they smile.

"There, that's better. Perfect."

"Well, I guess I should be going?"

"You're going to do great." Karen encouraged.

"Thanks again."

"Good luck. Bye."

**[Parking Lot]**

Bree is pushing a grocery car out and talking on her cell phone. "Hey. So how goes day two?"

**[Beck's Work]**

"Well, I'm mopping, Bree. And I look cool doing it."

"_I'm sure you do." _

Gary bickers, "I said no cell phones; you've got customers, Davenport."

"Alright, I got to go. Duty calls for me." He hangs up.

"Did you clean the blenders yet?" Gary asked.

"No, but..."

"I told you to do that half an hour ago." Gary cut him off.

"Okay relax."

"I can't relax. Unlike you, I actually need this job."

"What does that mean?"

"It means some of us don't have a rich daddy waiting for them when things get tough. You know if I want to go to college I'm going to have to pay for it, so if you're just going to waste my time you might as well quit now."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Good, because Jerry called in sick, so I'm going to need you to cover until 10 o'clock then we clean up and do inventory."

"Look, I have plans tonight."

"Alright, then you're fired. Take your pick."

**[Interview - School Auto Shop]**

"Well, selling the shop really couldn't be avoided." Donald says to the employer sitting in front of him

"I'm curious why you quit so soon after they hired you on."

"Well, the new management was taking things in a different direction."

The employer asked, "And you had a problem with that?"

"The new management was my brother and he's an ass."

"I see, Mr. Davenport, you may be qualified from a technical standpoint, but teaching teenagers is a whole other thing. Why do you want this job?"

"To me, it's not about teaching them to change a spark plug. It's about giving them the confidence to do something that maybe they think they couldn't do before. And once you do that, you've earned their trust. And when you have that, you can really have an effect."

"My brother's an ass too."

**[Beck's Apartment]**

Leo is the DJ and Bree is putting n lip-gloss waiting for people to show up. The doorbell rings. "Somebody's early." She declares. She answers the door and Tim is there with a keg. "Hi, you know Beck's not even back from work yet so if you want to come back later."

"Somebody's got to kick this mother off. What up, Cleo?"

"It's Leo."

**[Cat's Room]**

She is getting ready and Chase stands in her doorway. "Wow. You're kind of hot." Chase compliments.

"Yeah...?"

"So, look, I know we're just hanging out, but I got you a gift."

"Dude, you shouldn't have."

"I know, but I did."

"Alright, well good, give it to me. I love gifts."

"Well, I know how you're into this whole 80's metal thing. So I got you the first test of the record." He hands her a record.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "This is sweet. Um, I got you a high five. Do you want it now or later?"

"Now is good."

"Okay." She gives him a high five.

**[Beck's Apartment]**

Bree and Tim are sitting on the couch. "No one's coming. I'm sure of it." Bree says.

Tim replies, "Most people don't want to be first at a party." Bree looks at him and he looks away.

"Beck's late too." The doorbell rings. "Oh finally, people are here!" Tim jumps up and opens it first.

"What's up?" He hugs the people as they walk in.

"Um, Tim, do you know any of these people?" Bree asked.

"Not really, but it's a party, Bree. You wanted people to show up, right?"

"Yeah, sure, yeah, cool." Bree mutters flatly.

"Cool. Okay."

**[Bar]**

Jade is drinking alone. A guy sits next to her. She gives him a fake smile then looks away. "Can I buy you a drink?" The guy asked.

Jade turns back to him with a glare. "Okay, guy in need of a clue. Here's one. Women send signals. That was a brush off. Before you dip into your shallow pool of wit, let me paint us a picture and save us both the trouble. Here's your evening. You are going to slink back off to your buddies, laugh this off, get wasted, go home, and make nice with yourself. But don't be thinking of me, because even your fantasy of me isn't interested in you."

He leaves. Nikki is standing behind him and sits with Jade. "Nice work. I give you extra points for style."

"I've seen you around. You're Robbie's ex right?"

"No, he's mine. You go to Mission Creek?" She asks. Jade nodded. "So what brings you out into the big, bad, real world?"

"Anger, alcohol and a fake ID."

"Nice combo. Is it because of men?" Nikki asked.

"No, it's because of dogs. There are two of them. One of them is an ex-boyfriend and the other is a backstabbing ex-girly-best-friend."

"That's typical. If you have a strand of hair and five minutes, I can show you a great curse you can put on them."

"Okay." She pulls out a strand of hair. "Bring it on, witch."

"Okay. What are their names?"

"Chase and Cat."

"And where are they tonight?"

Jade answered, "They're at a party that I was not invited to. Can you believe that? They sneak around like little mongrels and I get removed from the A list."

"Can I get you ladies anything?" The bartender asks.

"Yeah, two vodkas and two for my new friend here,"

"Now you're talking, witch-y-poo."

**[Beck's Work]**

He accidentally knocks over a tray of pretzel. Gary insults, "Nice move, all-star." Beck bends over to pick them up and Douglas comes to the counter.

"You know it's a shame." Douglas spoke. "I have pictures of you in your fist bath, your first haircut. The first time you walked. Here it is; you're first job and me without a camera. Of course if I did have a picture of you, mom would most likely take it in the divorce. But that probably sounds bitter."

"Dad, I'm trying to work here, okay!" Beck shouted.

"I can see that. But come on, Beck. How long are you going to keep this job, a month, a week? Come home with me. This is embarrassing."

"No, dad, watching you and mom fight is embarrassing. This might be the ground floor, but at least I'm doing it on my own unlike some."

"Meaning what?"

"I could just live off mom's money like you did."

"Okay. Alright, you've got a long lot to learn, but go ahead. Impress me." He starts to walk away. Beck picks up a pretzel off the floor.

"Dad," Beck calls him and tosses the pretzel to him. "Have a pretzel. It's on me." Douglas eats it, signals that it's good and leaves.

**[Beck's Apartment]**

The house is crowded with kids and Bree is approached by two girls. "Beck Oliver and your own apartment you have, like, the best life ever."

"Well, thanks, I mean it's not my apartment, but..." Before she could finish, they walk away. Chase and Cat walk in. "Hi!"

"Bree, who are all these people...?" Chase asked.

"Who cares? It's a party."

"Sorry I'm late." Bree, Cat, and Chase turn at the sound of Jade's voice. "I hope nobody minds, but I brought a friend." Jade and Nikki stand in the door way.

"Let the games begin." Nikki declared.

Soon, Nikki and Jade are drinking together on the couch. Cat, Bree, and Chase are sitting across from them watching. Bree says, "Maybe if we just invited her."

"It's not your fault, Bree." Chase responded, playing a handheld game.

"Who is this Nikki person anyway?" Bree asked.

"It's Robbie's baby's mom." Cat said. "Yeah, she's a train wreck."

Something crashes in the other room. "That did not sound good." Bree declared, getting up to go see. "Excuse me, coming through!"

Nikki walks up to Chase. "I like who a guy who can keep a secret."

"You asked me not to say anything."

"So where's Robbie?"

"He's working tonight."

"Really, he is? Then we'll just have to have all fun." They walk into the kitchen. "Do you know if they have a carousel in this place?"

"Look, Nikki, you asked me to do you a favor, and I did it. Okay? I didn't tell Robbie what happened. Now it's your turn to do me a favor, okay? Take Jade and get her out of here before she starts something. Okay? My friend, Bree, she doesn't need this tonight, alright?"

"Need what? We're just having a little something." She watches as Cat comes over and stands next to her. "I thought I smelled something."

"Oh, that smell is skank. And I think it's coming from you." Cat remarked. Chase laughed. "Come on, Chase."

"Please." Nikki rolls her eyes and takes another shot.

**[Beck's Work]**

The mall is empty and he and Gary are cleaning. Suddenly, breaking the silence, Gary questions, "You don't remember it, do you? What happened at homecoming?"

"I remember it and I told you I'm sorry."

"What do you need this job so bad for anyway?"

"You saw my dad, right? If I can't show a judge that I can support myself, I've got to live with that guy."

"Wow, then you better hope I don't fire you."

"Alright, here's the deal, man. I'm going to work hard because I need this job. Not because you're gunning for me. So you can either let it go and accept my apology or you can just fire me right now."

"Alright, I'll let it go, but you've got to do better."

"I will."

"Okay, you can take off. You're having a party tonight, right? Well everyone at school knows about it."

"You can stop by if you want."

"Right, right, pry your lips off my ass and get out of here. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Gary."

"Whatever."

**[Beck's Apartment]**

Jade is waiting for a guy to fill her cup. "It is not gonna fill itself." Jade bickered as Cat walks up to her.

"So, you're hanging out with Nikki.'

"Sorry, do I know you?"

"Look, Jade, just don't cause any trouble tonight, okay?"

"What a minute. You're that short lying person I used to be friends with. Why don't you go crawling back to the boyfriend formally known as mine?"

"Okay, this whole not being friends with you think is getting so much easier every time I see you." She walks away, leaving Jade disappointed.

**[Bus Stop]**

Beck is sitting on a bench. He starts to call Bree's Cell and gets her machine. _"Hey, you've reached Bree James. Congratulations." _He hangs up.

**[Deb's House]**

She is drinking wine and putting Douglas' trophies into a box. He walks in behind her and starts to pour wine for himself. "You're late." Deb stated, looking back to him for a second.

"Are you going to divide those up too?"

"And deprive you of your glory days? I wouldn't think of it."

Pouring the wine, Douglas asks, "Oh, may I or should I pour half back? Why are we going through this charade, Deb? You're just going to have to unpack that stuff later."

"It's time to move out of denial, Douglas."

"I'm in denial?" Douglas scoffed. "You're the one sitting here creating busy work for yourself while our son gets a job at the mall, a direct result of your irrational need to rip the three of us apart."

"I ripped us apart? You know, Doug if I wasn't half drunk, I'd tell you to go screw yourself. Here they are; your trophies." She takes the box to him and drops it in front of him. "Congratulations."

"So this is what we've come to, huh, us boxing up our lives, trading insults, and drinking cheap wine."

"Oh no the wine's not cheap."

"This is our wedding crystal."

"No that's yours. I broke mine."

"I don't want to do this, Deb. I don't want to divide up our lives."

"Douglas, you already did. You divided this family a long time ago."

"How did I do that? What did I do? What, by working hard, by building up the business? By giving you a nice life, a car in the driveway, clothes on your back."

"You know what, Douglas? You know, keep it all. Here! You want the car? Here!" She throws the keys at him. "Keep the keys. You want the house? Take the house."

"Deb, stop." Douglas ordered.

"Here you want clothes off my back? Here. Take the clothes off my back." She takes off her jacket then shirt.

"Deb, stop. Will you stop!?" He shouted.

"What? What else do you want, Douglas?"

"I want you."

"Don't say that."

He kisses her and she slaps him. He kisses her again.

**[Beck's Apartment]**

"Be careful, please. Be careful." Bree orders as she walks around the house. She sees the guys are carrying Leo across the room. "Leo."

"I need a little help." He says.

Bree walks up to Chase and Cat. "I cannot stop the madness." Bree tells them.

"Okay, you know what? Drink this; you look like you could use it." Cat hands her a drink. Bree drinks it. Jade cuts in.

"So you two are playing games. Watch out for them; they look like they might cheat." Jade tells Nikki.

"Oh, you're still here. I thought that you'd be running off to tuck in my kid." Nikki remarked to Cat.

"Someone's got to." Cat mimicked.

"Yeah, well hopefully, it's not some trampy boyfriend thief."

"I'll drink to that." Jade utters, smirking.

"Look, why don't you do what you're really good at and disappear." Cat suggested.

"You have a problem?" Nikki countered.

"Wow. Nikki she's not work it." Jade stops as she pulls Nikki back from getting in a fight with Cat.

"Get off me." She pushes Jade away and walks up to Cat. "I asked you if you had a problem."

"Yeah, I do have a problem. It's called you, bitch." Nikki throws her against the refrigerator and slaps her. Cat pushes her back onto a table and they fall onto the floor. They get up and start pulling on each other. Chase pulls them apart."

"Bree help me out here." Chase speaks. Nikki throws a stool towards Cat and it goes out the window. They grab each other and break the coffee table. "Come on! Stop!" People pull them apart.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jade asks Nikki, yelling at her.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" She is trying to get out of Tim's arms to go back to Cat.

"Stop you two!" Tim shouts.

"You need to go!" Chase roared.

"Well, isn't this sweet?" Nikki queried. "Chase Davenport is coming to the defense of his women. Oh, but wait. Shouldn't that include someone else?" Bree, Cat, and Jade look at Chase. "Don't worry; I can keep a secret too." She walks away. Cat faces Chase.

"You're sure you're okay?" Chase asked, glancing at Cat.

"What did she mean by that, by someone else?" Chase pauses and looks around at her and Jade.

"She's the girl I met in the bar."

"Welcome to the Chase Davenport betrayal train; everyone all aboard." Jade pronounced.

"Move," Cat pushes past him.

"And you called me easy." She leaves just as Beck walks in.

"Bree, what..." Beck can barely finish, astonished at the mess.

"Beck, oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Bree apologized, hugging him. Cops suddenly walk in the door.

"Whose apartment is this?" One of the cops questioned. "It's not going to be that hard to figure out so why don't you just save us some time."

"Alright, it's mine." Beck answered.

"Everyone else, get out of here before we start checking IDs." The cop ordered. He started writing.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm writing you a citation." The cop responded.

"Me? I didn't do anything!" Beck yelled.

"It's for underage drinking and disturbing the peace."

Chase steps in. "Look, sir, he had nothing to do with this. He just got here."

"It's his apartment; it's his responsibility."

"Great, I'm impressed. You learn that in detective school?" Beck insulted.

"So, you want be a smart off. Fine, you can do that from a cell." He puts handcuffs on him.

"Come on!" Chase whined.

"You want to join him? I didn't think so. Come on, let's go." They lead him out.

**[Deb's Room]**

She and Douglas are lying in bed. "Do you remember Christmas break, first semester?" Douglas reminisced.

"Yeah, we stayed on campus because I was afraid to tell my parents I was pregnant."

"We were in that dorm for days. Everyone was gone. It was quiet. I remember thinking that maybe the world was out there anymore. And all that trouble outside has gone away."

Disturbing the quietness, the phone rings. "Great." Deb mutters as Douglas answers.

"This is Mr. Davenport speaking, you know, the good looking one."

"_Mr. Davenport, this is the Sheriff's department." _

"What?"

"_Your son's been arrested." _

"Where is he?"

"_He's down at the station." _

"Okay." Douglas hangs up.

"Who was that?"

"That was the real world; it's still out there. I got to go."

**[Police Department]**

Douglas and Beck are walking out. "Bang up job, Beck. Every time I blink you seem to sink a new low. Part of me thinks I should've left you in there."

"Maybe you should have." Beck remarked.

"This experiment of yours is over." Douglas retorted. "You're coming home."

"Forget it!" Beck quarreled.

"Now!" Douglas yelled at him;

"No way, I'm not going to." Beck bickered.

"Hey," Douglas grabbed him. "I brought you into this world; I promise I can take you out."

"Let him go." Chase defended Beck, standing next to Bree just behind them.

"And the disappointments just keep on coming. You stay out of this!"

"Bree, go get an officer," Chase ordered.

Douglas continues as Bree walks away. "Let me get this straight. Your mom runs off and has a fling. I get the cops to drop the charges and I'm the bad guy here?"

"Dad," Beck started.

"You might want to think before you start trying to make a case for what a great father you've been." Chase cuts Beck off.

"What do you know about me being a father?" Douglas asked.

Chase just smirked. "Exactly, because you've barely been one." Beck tries his hardest not to laugh.

"You know what? Why don't you shut up and go talk to your mom. Tell her you want to know what really happened between us back then. And you," Douglas turns to Beck. "You want to ruin your life? Go ahead. I'm done." He walks away.

"Come on, it's late. We'll take you home." Beck nods and walks away with Bree and Chase.

**[Chase's House]**

Karen is sitting at the kitchen table when Chase comes in. "Hey, what are you doing up?" Chase asks, sitting with her.

"You know I can't sleep until you're home. You know it meant a lot to Donald that you went to go seem him. Are we going to talk about that?"

"It's not really my place, is it? You deserve to be happy, mom. I mean, nobody deserves it more. But so does Donald. I just thought that you could be happy together."

"You know I love Donald very much. I'm just not _in love_ with him."

"Were you ever?"

"I guess I never really let my hear completely go there in part because he has been a very good friend and sometimes, romance confuses a friendship."

"Yeah, it does. Well, I can't tell you how to feel in your heart. It just sucks for Donald, that's all." Chase gets up to go to bed.

**[Beck's Apartment]**

"Don't worry about it." Beck spoke, helping Bree clean up.

"I never thought that this many people would actually show up."

"Why?"

"Because why would they when it's just me?" Bree questioned.

"It kind of comes with the territory, you know?"

"What territory?"

"It's popularity. This was just your coming out party."

**-Cat's Room- **

Cat is laying bed when Jade walks in. "Who knew tutor girl could throw such a raving?" Jade said, breaking the complete and utter lingering silence in the air.

"Who knew?" She asked as Jade lies down next to her. "So thanks for sticking up for me."

"Nikki was kind of my responsibility; it was probably a mistake to bring her."

"You think?"

"Judgment impaired by rage and cocktails, I admit it. I'm sorry. I want to call a truce, a real one."

"Are we friends again?"

"We're just not enemies anymore. I was thinking about Chase. You know he's just a guy; he makes mistakes like all the rest of them."

"Maybe he does. It just feels so much worse when you expect more from somebody."

"Yeah, I know." She starts crying. "So that Nikki bitch is crazy." They laugh.

"You possible we will ever get back to the way we were?"

"It doesn't feel like it sometimes."

"Yeah, it doesn't."

"I'm so tired."

"Me too..."

**[Karen's Café - Morning]**

"Hey." Karen greets Donald, who is walking in with a smile on his face.

"I got the job."

"That's great; I knew you would." Karen congratulated him.

"Yeah, I actually think it was the tie."

"I'm pretty sure it was you."

"Oh man, I'll tell ya, I have felt for too long like everyone else out there living their lives and when they said they wanted me, I felt good."

"So when do you start?"

"I start in a couple of weeks."

"Wow...it's that soon."

"Yeah, it's that soon."

**[Deb's House]**

She is sitting with her old yearbook. Douglas walks in. "That was a weird night."

"You can say that."

"You know I was thinking this morning that you should have this divorce."

"What changed your mind?"

"I just realized the same thing I realized in the dorm room. The real world's always going to be out there. And there's no going back." He leaves and Deb puts the yearbook in a box.

_**[Donald's House]**_

He is packing a box. Chase walks in and sits down with him.

**[Beck's Work]**

He is doing everything right and is helping customers. "Welcome to _"Hot and Twisted_" how can I help you?"

**[Outside School]**

Chase is standing alone then starts walking with Cat. "Hey." He greets her.

"Hey."

"Look, I didn't know about Nikki and Robbie until I met her."

"So she was just some stranger in a bar you slept with? Chase, you don't need to apologize. Okay? It's just that, after all the stuff that you and I had been through, where my head and my heart were at I couldn't have gone and just sleep with some stranger. You know when you and I first met? I was with Beck. And he was a pretty bad guy, if you remember."

"Yes."

"I'm not doing that again. Who knew that you two would switch places?" She walks away and he is left standing alone.

**Next Chapter: The Leaving Song - Chase is shocked to learn that Douglas once asked Karen for joint custody of him when he was a baby. **


	21. The Leaving Song

Chapter 21 - The Leaving Song

**[Chase's Room]**

Chase is sleeping in bed. He gets up and answers the door when Beck knocks. Right when he opens the door, Beck orders, "Get dressed."

"Dude, its six A.M, what are you doing?"

"We're going running."

"No." Chase responded. "I'm going to bed."

"I'll just keep knocking."

Soon, Beck and Chase are running. "Playoffs are next week. We got to get you ready man, with workouts, studying, and game tapes, whatever it takes."

"Why?" Chase questions.

"Because I want to win and I need your help. Besides, you stood up to my dad the other day. I owe you."

"So, listen. There's something that's been bothering me. That thing Douglas said, about asking my mom what kind of parent he was. Any idea what he meant?"

"It's probably just more of his mind games, man. That's the way he is."

**[Cat's Room]**

She is standing in front of her web cam. Her dad knocks, covering his eyes.

"Are you descent?" Larry asks.

"Clothing wise, I am."

He opens his eyes. "Hey, you're back online."

Cat groans and looks at the web cam. "Oh, damn, I got dressed in front of that web cam."

"Don't tell me that." Larry responded. Cat laughs. "I thought you said that thing was evil, anyway."

"Yeah, well that was before I saw you pulling your duffel bag out of the closet. Were you going to tell me that you're leaving?"

"I'm just going down to the keys. The boat leaves Saturday morning; I'll be back in six days."

"Okay. That gives me five nights to party."

"And leaves us no time to talk, so here comes the question; are you comfortable with me seeing Chase's Mom? If it's too weird for you..."

"It doesn't really. It's cool. What if you seeing Karen was too weird for me?"

"You'd just have to get used to it."

"You do your thing."

"Shut that thing off." He motions to the web cam as he leaves.

**-Chase's House-**

Chase and Karen are sitting at the kitchen table. "Hey, mom, the other night I saw Douglas and he said something."

"What is it now?" She asks.

"He said to ask you what really happened back then. Any idea what he meant?"

"Who knows what he means? It's Douglas."

"Yeah, but I don't know. He was talking about what kind of father he was. Was he just messing with me?"

"Chase, you know that I always have your best interest in mind since day one. You believe that, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, um, after you were born, Douglas asked to be in your life."

"You told me he ever showed up and that he didn't want anything to do with us."

"He didn't show up at first. But when he moved back to town with Deb, he told me that he'd like to help raise you and asked for joint custody. I said no.

"Why?'

"I didn't trust him. And Douglas was ready to sue until his lawyer told him since he had left and gotten another girl pregnant his chances weren't good. You know what Douglas is like. I had to make a decision. I had to do what was best for you. And I knew that someday we'd be having this conversation, but that was a risk I had to take."

"I've got to go to school."

"Chase." He leaves before she can continue."

**#Outside-School **

"Hey Cat!" Chase calls her, running to her. She shakes her head and starts to walk away. "Come on, can I talk to you?"

"That depends. Are you telling lies or things that aren't true?

"Okay, I deserve that, but about the night."

"Whatever, Chase. Explain it to your friend _Nikki_." She walks away with Jade and they look back at him.

_**#Inside-the-Gym**_

Jade and Cat are standing off to the side during practice. "So, now that Chase has out-tramped both of us, we are back to hoes over bros?"

"Okay, she's talking to me; does that mean she's shopping with me?" Cat asked. "I was thinking maybe we could spend a little trial make up time at the mall."

"You know there may be hope for you yet."

Whitey blows his whistle. "Gather around here. Come on. Let's move." The guys run over. "Alright, listen up. Next week you boys are going to be winning your first playoff game. I, however, am going to be flat on my back in the hospital."

"What's going on Coach?" Chase questions.

"It's just a little eye surgery. I've got a paranoid doctor who says I can't put it off any longer. And since it's important to me to actually see you guys win states, I've got to miss the first game."

"Who's going to coach us?" Beck asked.

"Coach McCallum will most likely. And if you use this as an excuse to slack off, I can promise you there'll be hell to play. Now hit the showers."

"You need anything Coach?" Chase offers.

"Yeah, I need my youth back." Whitey answers, walking away.

Chase walks away with Beck. "So, is McCallum any good?"

"No, JV sucks. This one's going to be up to you and me."

**#Donald's-Apartment**

Chase knocks on the door and comes in. "Donald."

"Hey." Donald greets him. "I just ordered some pizza. You interested?"

"Sure. Hey, listen, I wanted to ask you something about Douglas and about how he wanted to share custody."

"Oh, is he spreading that lie again?" Donald wondered.

"Donald, mom told me that it was true."

"What do you mean? How he called her from college?"

"No, after that Douglas wanted joint custody. I thought you knew that."

"No, I didn't know that."

"Do you think things would have been different if mom would have given him a chance?"

"You mean like the chance he had with Beck?"

"Yeah, but what was he like back then, anyway?" Chase quizzed.

"What are you thinking?"

"I mean; it's easy to see a guy that never cared and it's easier to hate him that way, right?'

"Well, maybe that's why your mom kept it from you."

"Yeah, I know he's a bad guy, but maybe he's just made some poor choices and it got out of control. I've been doing that myself."

"Chase, you're not Douglas. The man's whole life is poor choices."

"Yeah, but that's just it. Maybe this is the one that changed him."

**#Beck's Apartment**

"You are totally saving my life. Thank you. I've got to get a cable modem." Bree spoke, getting on Beck's laptop and sitting at his counter.

"It's cool. I've got to run to practice anyway then I'm going to pick up an extra shift at the mall, try to pay for this cable modem. And after that, I'm working out with Chase."

"Well, who are you and what have you done with my real boyfriend?"

"Well, you said you wanted me to cut the guy slack."

"You sure it's not because it's a way to stick it to Douglas?"

"No, that's not what it is."

"Okay." Bree responds.

"I'm going to stick it to my dad by erasing him from the record books, alright?"

"Good."

"I've got to go." He kisses her forehead. "I'll see you."

He leaves. Bree opens his laptop. "English class, here I come."

**#Whitey's Office**

He is using his glasses to look at the playoff schedule. Douglas walks in. "Douglas Davenport," Whitey calls him when he sees him walk in. "They haven't even cut me open yet and you've already smelled the blood."

"What is this I hear about you not coaching the playoffs?"

"It's the first game of the playoffs."

"And the last if they lose."

"The team is ready and McCallum will do fine."

Douglas laughs with denial. "McCallum's coaching? You've got to be kidding me. JV's what, five games all season?"

"Well, they've actually won 4. The other one was forfeit."

"That is exactly my point. It's better to let me coach the game."

"I'm old, Douglas, but I'm not senile." Whitey laughs.

"Come on, Whitey. You know I know these teams as well as you do every game and every player.

"You ought to. You babied half of them."

"Okay. Look, I know you don't care much for me, but you do care a lot about this team."

"I care enough about them to protect them from you. It's over my dead body, Douglas."

"Well, if that's the way you want it."

"Oh, by the way, I'm going to be just fine. Thanks for asking." Whitey says as Douglas leaves.

**#River Court**

Chase and Beck are playing basketball. Beck passes Chase and makes a shot. Chase limps away, commenting, "My legs are dead."

"Come on, one more game, man, see what you've got." Chase shoots and misses. "Nice shot, Bree."

"So did Douglas talk about me when you were little?" Chase asked.

"Well, when I was younger, I used to hear my parents argue about you. I knew you were out there and I hated the fact so I hated you. I just thought what my dad wanted me to think. It sounds stupid but it made sense at the time."

"You know he wanted joint custody me. That's what he was talking about at the police station."

"Wow. I didn't see that coming. The one descent thing the guy does and he buries it, huh?

"So you think if Douglas would have gotten his way, you and I might have grown up together?"

"What would that have gotten us?"

"Well, we could've teamed up against him."

"Or we could have killed each other. Trust me you did not miss out on anything."

**#Beck's Apartment**

Bree is working on her paper. "Until the latter part of his life, Darwin was a naturalist and the author of the book "The Origin of Species" which was published in..." She goes on the internet search and types in Origin. "Original Sin - Hot, Nasty Girls!" comes up. She clicks on his favorites and sees more porn sites listed and she looks disappointed.

**#Chase's House**

**#Chase's House**

Donald comes in to the kitchen where Karen is folding cloths. "Donald, hey," She greets him. He doesn't greet her back. He just takes the subject directly to the "join custody" thing.

"Chase came to see me last night with a lot of questions about what you told him about Douglas. And he wasn't the only one."

"You have a right to be upset."

"You're damn straight I have a right to be upset!" Donald yelled. "You want to explain to me how you could keep that from me all these years? I had a right to know Douglas wanted custody."

"What would you have done differently? Would you have loved Chase any less?"

"Of course I wouldn't. But I might have had a different opinion of my brother."

"Oh come on, Donald. Your opinion of Douglas is based on more than just his behavior towards Chase."

"Back then, he told me that he approached you about joint custody, okay? I called him a liar. And now I find out the person lying was you."

"I was trying to protect Chase! I was trying to give him the best life possible. I was a kid, Donald. And I was scared. I was scared I was going to lose you too. You and Douglas are brothers; there was always that chance."

"What? You were afraid I'd take his side over yours?"

"Well, yeah."

"God, Karen, I thought you knew me better than that." Donald leaves.

**#Whitey's Office**

He walks in and Douglas is sitting at his desk. Douglas stops writing on a Post-it note and looks up at Whitey. "I was just leaving you a note to call me."

"I thought you had to invite vampires in. I'm all talked out with you."

"That may well be, but I'm still going to need your playbooks, stats, team rosters, but don't you worry I've got my own whistle."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Whitey asked.

"It looks like I'll be coaching that playoff game after all."

"The hell you will. I told you my decision was final."

"And so were the athletic committees and I believed they trump you. We had a little session this afternoon. You should really get yourself a cell phone, Whitey." Douglas gets up and takes the playbook. "It's just what I was looking for. Don't worry, Whitey. The team is in good hands." He finishes and leaves.

**#Mall**

Cat and Jade are walking and pushing Jenny. "So I hope you don't mind I had to bring Jenny along." Cat says. "Robbie kind of asked last minute."

"Well, it's never too early to accessorize, right?" Jade asked. "Want to go look at CDs?"

"Why, so I can listen to you complain as I check out all the new releases?"

"Well, we could go try on lingerie and you can listen to me whine about how fat I am."

"You're not fat." Cat declared.

"I know. I just like to hear it." Jade responded as they stop at a store window and look in.

"You know I've really missed this whole girlfriend thing."

"Of course you have."

"Well, well, well." Cat and Jade turn around and Nikki is holding Jenny. "You apparently suck as a babysitter."

"Nikki, what are you doing?" Cat asked.

"I'm protecting my baby. While you two Barbies were getting ready to make out, anyone could have taken her."

"Put her down." Cat ordered.

"Right, I take orders from you." She starts to walk away and they follow her.

"Where are you going?" Cat shouted.

"I'm shopping with my daughter."

Jade tries to stop her, "I don't think so."

"Yeah, I see you stopping me."

"Nikki!" Jade yelled.

"Go get security, okay?" Jade leaves and Cat follows Nikki through the crowd. "Nikki. Nikki! Where is my phone? Damn it! Where is my phone?" Cat searches through her purse while following her. She looks up and Nikki is walking into a video store. "Nikki!" Cat walks back to a cell phone stand and grabs one of the phones on display. "Hi, can use this?"

"Sure." A businessman responds.

"Thank you." She dials Karen's Café. "Karen, hey, it's Cat, is Robbie there? No, he can't call me back, I'm - well where is he?" She looks around and doesn't see them anywhere.

"Cat." Jade runs over to her. "Where is she?"

"I lost her in the crowd. This isn't happening." A security guard is with Jade.

"The police are on their way, miss, security's been notified. If she's still here, we'll find her."

"What if she's already gone? What are we going to do?" Cat asked.

"It's going to be okay, come here." Jade hugs her.

**#Beck's Apartment**

Bree still has the Original Sin website up. Beck and Chase walk in. "Hey, Bree." He greets her. She looks angry. "Check it out. We spent an entire afternoon together and no one threw a punch."

"You okay?" Chase asked.

"Can I talk to Beck alone please?" Bree asked.

"Yeah, sure you can. I'll catch you guys later." Chase leaves and Beck turns to her.

"What's up?"

"I was just doing some research on the internet and I found what my _boyfriend's _been studying." She turns the computer to face him.

"This is...I just stumbled upon this, so it's no big deal." He closes it.

"What about the half a dozen other sites that you stumbled upon and book marked? It's hard enough for me that I have to compete with the girls at school that just give it away, now I've got to be a porn star?"

"Bree, look, you're over reacting."

"No, I really don't think that I am. This hurts me Beck."

"Why? Bree, these girls aren't real. And plus, I'm a guy. Guys look at this stuff."

"Well don't be those guys, Beck. Be a man. You know I'm not a total prude, and I think you know that. But the thought that this is what I'm going to be compared to?"

"So, that's what this is? You're worried I'm going to compare you to them when we..."

Bree cuts him off, "Yes! I'm afraid that's part of. Beck, it's hard enough for me to even think about being naked in front of you. And the thought that this is the standard I'm going to be held to? Forget it."

"Bree," He calls her too soon before she leaves.

**#Mall**

Robbie comes up to the security station. "Cat, have they found her?" He frantically asks.

"No. God, Robbie, I am so, so sorry, okay?" Cat apologized. "We only looked away for two seconds."

"You cannot do that!" Robbie shrieked.

"You just need to calm down, sir. We have officers combing the mall."

"Oh, calm down, take it easy?" Robbie asked. "What do you think...?"

Nikki walks up, interrupting Robbie's rant. "Hey. What's going on?"

"What the hell are you doing, Nikki?" Robbie asked.

"I took Jenny shopping then we rode on the carousel. What? What's the big deal?"

"You stole her out of her stroller!" Cat shouted.

"No, I didn't. I picked her up because you two weren't watching her and then I told you I was taking her shopping. Besides, she's my daughter, not yours."

"Is that true?" The guard asks.

"Well, yes, but..."

"Which one of you has custody?" The guard interrupts him.

"Okay, look, she took off as soon as the baby was born."

"As long as this isn't a custody matter, I'd advise you kids to keep your family stuff at home, okay?" The guard turns to another guard. "You can call off the dogs." He walks away.

Robbie turns to Nikki and asks, "You are unbelievable you know that?"

"Hey, if you'd let me see her once and a while..."

"That is not going to happen, not after this?" Robbie bickered.

"You think I'm such a bad mother? You've made some pretty bad decisions when it concerns Jenny. I'm not sure I can trust you with her."

"Nikki."

"I'm going to get custody, Robbie. She's better off with me. I'll see you soon, bunny! Yes!" She puts Jenny down and leaves. Robbie picks her up out of the stroller.

"Robbie." Robbie walks away.

**#Karen's Café**

Douglas walks in and sees Deb working. "Haven't worn out your welcome yet?" He asks.

No. In fact, Karen made me her partner."

"I hope you mean in the business. You said you had something for me."

"Yeah, you left the bedroom floor the other night." She slides his watch over to him.

"What makes you think I didn't leave it there as a payment?" He asks. They don't notice Karen walking over.

"Excuse me, Deb. Douglas may I have a word with you?" They walk off. "Is it just a sport? This need to agitate Chase any chance you get. Why on earth would you tell him that you wanted custody?"

"I'm not the devil, Karen. I'm tired of being blamed for everything."

"It's not everything. It's just your due. You suggest to me that I abort my child and then one day, you grow this tiny silver of conscience that has long since disappeared and you expect a metal for that?"

"No, I expect you to be held as accountable as I have to be. You're the one who kept the truth from him."

"This is not about accountability. You don't regret missing out on Chase's life; you hate the fact that I beat you. And you're punishing him because some lawyer told you years ago that you could never win this one and this pathetic, Douglas! So do me a favor and just stay away from him."

"I can't do that. I'm his coach."

"What are you talking about?" Karen asked.

"Whitey's off in surgery, so I volunteered to step in and help."

"You just can't let this one go, can you?"

"Well it beats lying about it."

"Listen to me, Douglas. If you use this coaching job to hurt my son, I don't care who on that school board you sold cars to, I will bury you."

"You shouldn't baby the kid, Karen. The boy needs to learn to fight his own battles."

"Is that why Beck left you?"

**#Cat's Room**

She is on the bed drawing with her headphones on. Bree stands in the doorway, knocking and trying to get her attention. "Cat. Hello!" She shouts.

Cat jumps and takes her headphones out. "Oh, hey, sorry I didn't hear you."

"It's okay. Are you alright?"

"Not really. I screwed up pretty bad with Jenny yesterday."

"Sorry." Bree apologized, walking over. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, yeah she's fine. It just potentially could have been so bad. I'm an idiot. What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing, I was going to dump my problems on you, but you've got enough to worry about."

"No, it's cool. What's up?" Cat asks.

"Okay, um, I was over at Beck's and I was on his computer and I came across all this creepy porn."

"How creepy was it? Like she-male midgets?"

"No, it was like Pamela Anderson wannabes. And I'm right to be bothered by this, correct? I mean you would be bothered by this if you guys were still together."

"Well, not really. But our relationship was nothing like yours."

"Because you two were having sex and it was the only thing in the relationship."

"No!" Cat shouted. "It was because I was never in love with Beck the way you are."

"You know, he says he's totally cool with waiting until I'm ready, but if he's filling up with cyber-sex in the meantime, I'm not going to measure up with that."

"Bree, but you don't have to compete with anything. You've got something they don't; you've got his heart, too."

**#Weight Room**

Chase is benching and Beck is spotting. Beck walks over and says, "I heart it only took my dad 15 minutes to BS the athletic committee. We're so screwed man."

"We're screwed only if we let him get to us." Chase stops to get up. "So are you going to tell me what happened with Bree? I called her last night and she wouldn't pick up?"

"Let's just say she found out I was looking at some websites that don't exactly make me boyfriend of the year. Alright, not that it's any of your business, but um, Bree and I, we're not...I mean she's not, you know, so I'm just trying not to pressure her that's all." Beck starts to bench.

"Yeah sure, you're a porn freak."

Beck laughs. "What? Shut up, dude."

"Just stay away from the sites with farm animals, alright?"

Beck laughs and starts to drop the bar. "Oh man. What are you talking about?"

Douglas and Whitey walk to the door and watch them through the window. "Most fathers would be touched by that scene. But I'm guessing it's your worst nightmare, _Coach_." He walks away.

_**#Chase's Room**_

Karen walks in to see Chase sitting at his desk. "Chase, can I talk to you? I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have lied to you about Douglas."

"No, you shouldn't have."

"And I understand if you're upset."

"I don't think you do. I just can't turn it off. All these years I was sure I should hate him because he didn't want me. I guess I'm mad at you for making me question that now. I'm not sure I should hate him. I'm not sure I know him."

"Do you want to?"

"You loved him once, mom. Was there ever something there? Was he ever a good person?"

"Once upon a time, he was. But he hasn't been that person for a long time."

**#Gym**

The guys are doing footwork while Douglas blows the whistle to change their directions. "Hold your position." He orders. "Where's Shapiro."

"Sometimes Coach lets him miss practice because of his baby." Tim answers.

"That sounds like Whitey. There'll be no more special treatment for anyone, understood? Now, this ball control offense Whitey's running is out. From now on, its run and gun. Players make plays."

Tim bickers, "By the way, you're benched. Anyone else...? Good."

Soon, they're doing pushups. Beck looks over to Chase and asks, "Is this bad for your shoulder?"

"It probably is."

"Alright, free throws!" Douglas shouts. "Make ten in a row, miss on, grab a weight plate, run and start over. Let's go!"

Beck shoots and makes it. Douglas orders "Bend your knees, Beck."

"I just made it, didn't I?" Beck mimed off.

"Hey. Whitey let you mouth off like that? Bend your knees." He shoots and misses. "Grab a weight plate. Next one!" Chase is next and he misses. "Go join your new pal. Next!"

Seconds later, they are running sprints. "Do sprints, not runs!" Chase is trailing behind. "Chase, keep moving! Let's go, let's go!"

"I'm still a little weak from the accident." Chase is bending over at midfield.

"You're a little weak alright."

"Oh, dad..." Beck groans after Chase throws up.

"It's Coach to you. Now get a mop and clean that up. Let's go, quit slacking! Let's go!"

**#Bree's Room **

She is reading on the bed and Chase lies down. Concerned, she asked, "What happened to you?"

"Beck and I had our first practice with Douglas."

"It was that brutal, huh?"

"Yeah, it was, especially for Beck."

"You're concerned about Beck?"

"Well, yeah, I am. I saw firsthand today how horrible it is with him and Douglas. He needs you, Bree. Maybe you should cut him a break on this whole internet thing?"

"He told you about that?" Bree asked.

"Yeah, he did. I know it's weird, okay? But we're talking more now, and at least he's not cheating on you."

"Ha!" Bree scoffed. "He's looking at plastic bimbos."

"Hey, it could be worse. Did you ever think that maybe all this is just helping him so he can give you space so he doesn't have to hassle you about sex?"

"He doesn't even need help giving me space. He should be better than that especially if he loves me. And I cannot believe that you're defending him, who's protecting my heart in this, Chase."

"Okay, okay, I didn't say it was okay, alright? I'm just saying that after what I saw in the gym today, the guy just needs a little support."

**#Robbie's House**

Cat knocks on the door and he comes outside. Cat begins apologizing, "Robbie, I feel so horrible. You have every right to be mad at me"

"I'm mad at Nikki, okay? You, I'm just...I'm just disappointed in."

"It was just for two seconds.

"A lot happened in those two seconds. I just got off the phone with the legal aid attorney. She said that Jenny's fair game and if it goes to court, that the judge usually decides with the birth mother."

"Even if you can prove what a horrible person she is?"

"You saw how she played that cop in the mall. She's going to do the same thing to a judge in court. What if she wins, Cat? I could lose Jenny."

"I've got to get out of here."

"Where would you go?" Cat asked.

"I have a cousin who lives in Savannah."

"Won't that just make things worse?" She asks.

"If Nikki comes after Jenny, this lawyer said it could end up costing me a fortune to fight her. And my parents are already struggling as it is. This would wipe them out, I can't do that to them. The only thing I know for sure is that if I stay here, I'm screwed."

**#Beck's Apartment**

Bree is back on the internet doing her English paper. "Where did I put that picture of Darwin?" She opens up the pictures and sees 6 pictures labeled "Cat" from her web cam. The first one is Cat sitting on her bed and then a few of her with a dowel on. Beck walks in.

"Hey." He greets her.

"You, um, said they weren't real people."

"Bree, what are you doing?"

"I'm a real person. I have feelings. I have problems. I feel vulnerable and self-conscious. I'm just like every other person."

"I know that."

"Well, what happened to sex just being magical and being this amazing expression of how much you love someone? These cyber girls, they're just like triple-jointed and waxed and always turned on, and it's just a lie."

"I understand that. It's just a fantasy."

"Is Cat a fantasy, too?" He closes the laptop. Bree nods and starts to leave.

"You know, it'd be nice if a guy could have a little privacy in his own apartment."

Bree turned back to face him. "I can't be Cat for you. I can't be those girls. I just, I won't."

"I don't want you to be." Beck responded as Bree walked back over to him.

"Are you sure about that?" She takes his hand and kisses it. "I gave you my heart. That's all that I can give it to you. And if that's not enough for you, then I'm not enough for you." She finishes and leaves.

**#Robbie's House**

Cat and Robbie stand in the middle of the living room. "So can I ask you a question? Were you serious about getting out?" Cat asked.

"Yeah, I was."

"I'm sure going to miss you." She coos to Jenny. She turns back to Robbie. "I've got a way for you to leave, but you've got to go in the morning."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. What are you talking about?"

"My dad's transport is leaving for the keys. Did you ask your cousin about staying with him?"

"Yeah, but he's in Savannah."

"Well, my dad docks near there and a couple of other places on the way. Look, if you take your car, Nikki can follow you, but this way-'' She pauses. "I don't want you to go, Robbie. But if you think it's the best thing for Jenny."

"I was thinking about how crush my parents would be if I left. But Nikki, I mean she's been so bad to my world, already. And not just to me, but to you and to Chase and Jade. If I stay, she'll win custody, Cat. I can't have that."

"The boat leaves in the morning."

"And your dad's cool with this?"

"I'll just tell him you're visiting relatives. He's a father, too, Robbie. He'd do anything for his daughter, just like you."

"What do you think, Jenny?" Robbie asks.

"I'll be in there in the morning either way." Cat says.

**#Karen's Café**

A mailman walks in and announces, "There's a package for Deborah Davenport?"

"I'm Deb." Deb walks up. She signs and opens the envelope. "Thanks."

By Deb's expression, Karen asks "Is it bad news?"

"These are our divorce papers. Once they are signed and filed, it will all be over."

"That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm just surprised. I never expected to feel sad."

**#Gym**

Chase and Beck are running sprints together. Douglas comes in and stands in front of them. They stop.

**#Deb's House**

She signs the papers and is crying.

**#the Docks **

Robbie is walking towards the boat with Jenny and stops by Cat. "Hey. I was kind of hoping you wouldn't show." Cat says and then looks down at Jenny, picking her up. "Jenny, you be good, okay? Take care of your dad." She puts Jenny back in the carrier.

"Cat." Robbie starts.

"Look, don't say anything. You guys just be safe." She kisses him and he hugs her. He walks away and gets on the boat.

**#Cat's Room**

She is lying on her bed. Chase comes in behind her and knocks softly on the door. "Hey." He spoke up. "You okay?"

"I've got some stuff going on."

"I know. Look, I just wanted to apologize, again, for not being a better person lately. I'm trying, Cat. I don't know what else you to say."

"It's not about what you say, Chase. It's about what you do. You don't like the person you've become? Then do something about it, because no one's going to do it for you."

"I know. That's why I came by. I'm going to be making a few changes. And I just wanted to see you before I do. I'll be seeing you, Cat." He says and leaves. Cat looks after suspiciously.

**#Donald's Apartment**

Karen comes in while he's packing. "Hi." Karen flatly greets him.

"Hi."

"I didn't want this." She spoke.

"What's that?"

"This. You're moving away and you're upset with me."

"Well, neither of us wanted it, but somehow here we are."

"Did I trap you? Did I lead you on and trick you into loving Chase?" Karen asked.

"No and you didn't trick into loving you either. But that's what happened."

"And the fact that I lied about Douglas' intentions; does that change all that?"

"It colors it differently, yeah."

"How, because no matter what I said back then, Douglas would have been the same reprehensible person he's become. And you still would have been there for Chase and me."

"And what for, so I could end up pushing 40's still living in a bachelor apartment? Don't you see Karen? You got what you needed and so did Chase, but what about me? I never said this before, but I will now. I stood by you and I stood by Chase, and I'm glad I did that. I just can't help but think why? What do I get out of it?"

"You get a boy who loves you." Chase knocks and comes in.

"Sorry to interrupt but we need to talk." Chase apologized.

"Okay, what's up?" Karen questioned.

"Look, I know you did your best mom. If you hadn't kept Douglas away, Donald and I probably wouldn't have been so close. And I would have hated to miss that. So I understand now why you had to keep that secret to yourself. You just needed to find yourself on your own, right?"

"Yes." Karen answered.

"Well, that's what I want, too. I want to start over. I mean, that's what you did when you shut Douglas out. That's what you're doing leaving town."

"What do you mean, start over?" Donald asks.

"I mean get away. I want to get away from Douglas, away from this place, and away from the mistakes I've been making. I want to go with Donald, mom. _I want to leave Mission Creek_."

**Next Chapter: The Games that Play Us - Chase and Beck bear the brunt of Douglas' abuse as he coaches them into the playoffs, brushing both of them to their emotional breaking points. **


End file.
